Page 107 of Run to Me

“That depends.”

“On what?” I ask, my arm hairs standing on end, knowing I won’t like his answer.

“On whether you plan to stay in Walford or leave. If you’re staying, make sure he knows, then be here to support him. If you’re leaving, cut ties now and let us deal with the fallout.”

“Javi,” Trevor warns.

“No, Trevor. I won’t tread lightly. And I’m not trying to be rude or place blame or run her off. I’m simply trying to eliminate sources of stress.”

“You think I’m a source of stress for him.” My accusation lacks venom because I might agree with Javi on this point.

“Your uncertainty is,” he says. “The thought of you leaving again hangs over his head like a dark cloud. He needs reassurance.”

Leaving again.

“I do reassure him. Often.”

Javi sighs with a subtle, pitying shake of his head. “The only reason he wouldn’t believe you is if you don’t believe yourself. If you’re staying, give him something concrete. Put a label on your relationship, make a plan for the future, tell him how you feel about him. Anything to help him feel secure in what you have. Guys want to know they’re loved, same as women do.”

The first person I can recall saying “I love you” to was Tatum. When we became friends, she said the phrase to me so often, I naturally reciprocated. Graham and Miguel say they love me, but I’m unsure if I’ve ever said it back, though I do love them, as well as Marcus and Judge and Pam.

I love several people in a platonic, friendly way, but I’ve never declared my romantic love for anyone. Regardless, showing people how much I love them is far less terrifying than telling them. There’s a certain amount of raw exposure in saying the phrase I love you, at least for people like me who put a ton of value behind the sentiment.

Trevor must be able to read my mind. He pokes my leg with his foot to grab my attention and says, “I’ve been told I have the emotional depth of a pencil⁠—

“I said that once, and you always bring it up,” Javi complains.

“—which isn’t true. I feel lots of things under the surface but only share my feelings with people who are important to me. Obviously, Javi isn’t important, but Gina is. I try to tell her and show her how much she means to me every day.”

“That’s sweet of you,” I say.

“You’re the only person besides Gina to accuse me of being sweet.”

Javi’s head moves back and forth, which is how I know he’s studying our interaction. “You two are eerily similar.”

“That’s why Jensen likes us better than he likes you,” Trevor says in his dry, matter-of-fact tone.

Not in the mood to stick around for their banter, I stand and say, “Thanks for the chat, boys.”

“Maisy.” The seriousness in Javi’s voice freezes me in place. “Be careful with him. But look out for yourself too. If you notice him getting worse, I’m around.”

On that parting warning, and concerned Javi knows something about Jensen that I don’t, I join the ladies and claim the empty lounge chair on the end next to Lucy. On Lucy’s other side, Tatum rubs her baby bump while discussing home furnishings with Gina and Clementine.

“Everything okay?” Lucy asks, eyeing me as I arrange a towel before lying on the chair.

“Yeah. I was just trying to get some free advice out of Javi.”

“Any luck?”

“Maybe,” I mutter, my gaze trained on Jensen.

When he looks my way, a grin lights up his face. Half a second later, he’s doused by a big splash of water, followed by a tackle from a roaring man-child: Brody.

Taking a risky gamble twice in one day, I ask Lucy, “Have you noticed any changes in him lately?”

She hums in thought and tilts her head, discreetly studying Jensen. “He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

Interesting, but not surprising, that Javi and Lucy’s observations differ. Jensen hides himself well, showing people only the parts he wants them to see. Javi sees a man in decline, but Lucy sees a man on the rise. Perhaps she doesn’t know him as well as I initially thought.