Page 39 of Abandoned

“No.” She coughed.

He mumbled something she couldn’t understand, but before she could ask him, he put his arm across her shoulders and pulled her close.

She nearly collapsed against him. The weight of so many things threatened to smother her.

“Talk to me. There’s more going on than our spat. You looked like you would nearly panic because she was trapped.”

She sniffed. “You read that right.”

They reached his pickup, and he gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Tell me more.”

“Will, we said we’d wait.”

“It’s connected?”

“One hundred percent.” She fought letting it all explode all over him. She really wanted to talk about this stuff when she could be more levelheaded.

“I know we said we needed to sleep before we talked, but I don’t know if it can wait.”

“But …”

He let go of her and opened the truck door. “Please. I’m not going to be able to sleep until I’m honest with you.”

Her curiosity spiked. If it wasn’t only her unloading, maybe she could share.

“Let’s go back to your place first though.”

She nodded and slid into the truck.

He got in, and instead of sitting in the passenger’s seat, she slid to the middle.

His eyes narrowed as he considered her. “You know, you’re a touch confusing.”

She deflated and looked away.

His fingers came under her chin and lifted her face, but he didn’t say anything, not until she met his gaze.

“It’s okay.” He wrapped his arm around her and drove.

She leaned against him and fought to keep the floodgates firmly in place, but they shook and began to leak.

Chapter Eleven

Will held Zara close as he drove back to her apartment. Now was probably as good a time as any to tell her more. “I didn’t flunk out of college.”

“I didn’t think you did. You’re a smart guy.” Her voice was a little hoarse.

“I nearly failed one class. Got a D and was going to have to retake it since it was for my major.”

“Just one?”

“Yeah, actually had As in most of the rest of my classes that semester.”

“What class was it?”

“Criminal Justice: Research Methods.”

“Doesn’t sound like it would be so hard.”