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When I looked towards her, I caught her glancing towards me. But this time, she didn’t turn away.
Chapter Ten
Megan
“I’m sorry,” he said.
His hazel eyes were pooled in shadow so that I couldn’t see their color. I imagined them though, sparkling bright and full of warmth. Despite everything, I still felt safe whenever he was near me, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was a firefighter. It was who he was that made me feel safe. He could have been anything in the world, and I would have felt the same way.
“For what?” I asked because I really wanted to know.
“For what happened back there,” Phil said. “She was an ex-girlfriend, but there’s nothing between us. There hasn’t been for a very long time. I was dating her around the same time I met your brother. I had just realized that I wanted to be a firefighter and was in the process of starting to pursue it. She was around for most of those discussions and encouraged me to go through with it.
“We broke up when I was going through my training. I was neglecting her, and she wasn’t happy. I think we both realized that the relationship was not going to withstand the pressure and stress of my new job. We parted on good terms, but I don’t have any feelings for Anna. Trust me on that.”
“Is that why you think I got upset?” I asked.
Phil paused for a moment, obviously having considered nothing else. “Um…yes.”
I shook my head and turned my face towards the moonlight streaming down through the trees. “No, that’s not why I got upset.”
“Okay,” Phil said, after a moment. “Then tell me why you got upset, please.”
My hand was still in his, and I squeezed it for a moment. “I thought we had this amazing connection—”
“We do,” he interrupted.
“How is that possible?” I asked. “When the truth is, I don’t know anything real about you. We talk about books and movies and music. We talk about food and traveling and art. We talk about our opinions on each one of those subjects, but we don’t talk about each other. I didn’t even know that you had a brother until Anna mentioned him tonight.”
I saw understanding dawn on Phil’s face.
“Isn’t that something you mention?” I asked. “At least in passing?”
“It is for most people,” Phil replied.
“But not for you?”
“I don’t like talking about my brother,” he said. “In fact, I don’t like talking about my family, at all.”
I nodded. “I suppose I’ll have to respect that, then.”
“No,” he countered, drawing me in with his eyes. “I was just trying to explain to you why it doesn’t come naturally to me to talk about my past and my family. But I do want to share all that with you, Megan… Not because you’re asking, but because I feel safe with you.”
The word sent a shock of electricity buzzing through me. That was exactly how I felt about him, and I smiled in response. “I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do,” I said. “I just… I was overly sensitive tonight. I shouldn’t have just walked away like I did.”
Phil waved away my apology. “Ask me anything,” he said. “I want to answer.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay,” I started. “You mentioned not having seen your brother in years.”
Phil nodded. “Paul is… He’s in jail.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “What?”
“He was sentenced to nine years in prison for doing drugs,” Phil explained.
