Page 57 of His Wounded Heart

He is.

“Trenda, are you embarrassed about needing to cry the other day? You shouldn’t be. That was a natural reaction. Damn, near anybody would have felt like it.”

“Oh really? Is that why you were sobbing all over me?”

Watch out, the sarcastic bitch is in the house.

“I might not have been sobbing, but yeah, having you in my arms helped to settle me down.”

“Bull pucky. I didn’t notice one single moment when you didn’t have everything together. You were tight as a drum. You lived up to your title, Commander.” I say his title slowly, with as much sarcasm as possible.

There, suck on that!

“Trenda, I spent twenty-six years either working as a SEAL or leading SEALs. I have been in a lot of hairy situations. I’ve trained for times like the one we were in, and I’ve performed in similar situations, so it’s not fair to compare us. What’s more, with Drake as your brother, I know you know this.”

I sigh, and it comes out all quivery. The bitch was gone. Instead, the awful mother and sad and confused woman are back.

“Can you tell me what’s really wrong?” he asks softly.

“I don’t know you well enough to lay my troubles at your doorstep. At least not again.”

“Sometimes a third-party is the perfect person to talk to. Then you get an objective point of view.”

“How about when it concerns my ugly past, my little girl and maybe even a little bit about a Navy commander who’s moved into town?”

Again, there is silence. When it has gone on too long, I start talking again.

“See, you don’t know what to say. Nobody can help me. I just need to get my shit together by myself.”

As usual.

Fluffer-Bunnies! I’m crying again.

Great job, Trenda. Prove to the handsome man that you are a hormonal loser.

“How much longer before Bella gets out of school?”

“Five hours.” Good, at least my voice didn’t sound like I was crying.

“Can I come over?”

“Uhmm.”

“Let me rephrase that. I’m coming over,” Simon says in his sexy commander voice. “It’ll be your choice if you open the door or not.”

“Simon, don’t. I’m all over the place. One instant I’m sad, and the next instant I want to throw things. If you come over, I might be laughing maniacally. Truly, I’m an ugly mess.”

“It sounds to me like you’re human. That’s something I appreciate. Someone who doesn’t hold everything in. Someone who admits when shit’s gone sideways and doesn’t try to hide it. I want to be there for you.”

“But why?”

I’m pretty sure he isn’t Jeffrey Dahmer, but the fact that I thought he was being nice to me because I thought he was a nice man means he’s probably hiding a really bad side.

Stop it! Drake even told you when you called, he was a good guy. Wouldn’t it be nice to lean on somebody instead of having to pick up the pieces all on your own?

Yeah, I could call Evie, but even with her, I could only tell her so much. Maybe with Simon, I could let it all hang out. Even the part where I am attracted to him, but the fact is I am not, in any known universe, going to act on it. He would understand that, right?

“Trenda? Did you hear me? You won’t have to open the door. But I’ll be there as soon as I can.”