AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Not an hour later,Will stared at Elizabeth, his hands tightly folded together, knuckles turning white. She sat across from him at the dining room table, her eyes locked on his, obviously waiting for him to say something.
She’d just told him about Bill Collins. And the flowers he’d sent to her office. And the ones she believed Collins had delivered himself.To her house.
“Are you going to say something?” she finally asked.
He shook his head and looked away from her. Every muscle in his body felt like it was vibrating, and his heart hammered in his chest.
“I know you're angry, and you have every right to be,” she said softly. “I know I should have told you. I’m sorry.”
For several long moments it was silent, and he took a deep breath, determined to remain calm and rational. When he finally spoke, he made a concerted effort to keep his voice low and steady.
“You promised me you would tell me if he contacted you. How could you keep something like this from me? After everything we've gone through, after everything he's done… Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn't want you to worry.”
“You didn't want me toworry? Iwouldn'thave been worried because I would have taken care of it right away. Instead, he went to your house and left flowers on your deck. What if you’d been home? What if he’d pushed his way in and attacked you?” His voice rose, and he took another deep breath. “That's why you've been here every night. You’re scared.”
She nodded. “I am, a little.”
He had to get away, just for a moment, and rose from the table without another word, striding across the living room and out the sliding doors to the deck. From there, he headed down to the back lawn and walked as far as the Adirondack chairs. He paced back and forth behind them before stopping to stare out at the ocean.
It wasn't solely anger he was feeling; it was fear that coursed through his veins and made his heart pound. Not that he was afraid of Bill Collins himself, because he surely wasn't. No, he was terrified of how vulnerable Elizabeth was, because Will had absolutely no control over that.I have no control at all.
He didn’t hear her walk up behind him, but her arms were suddenly encircling his waist, and her head rested against his back.
“I should have told you,” she offered quietly. “I gave you my word, and I broke it.”
He remained motionless, letting her embrace soothe away some of his tension.
“Did you really not want to worry me?” he asked. “Or were you worried about what I would do once I found out? Did you think I would fly off the handle and go after him?”
Her answer was hesitant. “I guess it was a little of both.”
“Fair enough.” He swallowed thickly, trying to find the right words. “You–you have to let me protect you, Elizabeth. I need to do that. If anything happened to you because of him, because you couldn't trust what my reaction might be if you told me, it would be my fault.”
Thoughts of his sister came tumbling into his head and he shuddered, feeling the worse sense of déjà vu, even as he felt Elizabeth shake her head against his back.
“But itwouldbe my fault,” he went on. “I know I can be irrational when things spiral out of my control. I've learned that about myself, and I don't like it. I'm working on it. But I need you totrustme, love, more than anything. I can't have you wondering if I'm going to go ballistic over something like this, because then you won't tell me, and that puts you at risk. I–I can't have that. If something happened to you...” His voice trailed off as the last of his anger seeped out of him.
“Idotrust you. I'm so sorry.” She planted a kiss between his shoulder blades. “Will you go with me to the police station tomorrow? I need to see if there's anything I can do to keep him away.”
“Of course I will. I'll make sure something gets done. He won't get anywhere near you.” He turned in her arms and cupped her chin. “In the meantime, I’d like you to continue to stay here. I know it would be easier if we stayed at your place, but I would feel better if you were here. Okay?”
He needed this from her, needed her to be with him, and have the security of her presence at his home.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly. “Okay.”
