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I don’t respond, just rub her back. John joins us and his eyes soften when they land on Vera. She’s like a little sister to him, too. “We’re heading home. Do you want a ride, Vera?”
She sucks in a breath and nods. John wraps her up in a big hug that I know will make her feel better. She grips his shirt and hugs him back. He hands her shirt to her, and she tugs it on. She grabs her purse on the way out and I wave to everyone as I follow them out the door. My dad puts an arm around Vera and walks with her down the hall. He’ll make her feel better, too. Vera didn’t have a dad growing up, but I’m more than happy to lend her mine. She needs a positive male influence in her life now more than ever.
Dylan nudges my knee with his from next to me on the couch. We’re catching up onSmallville. I’m not allowed to tell anyone about his guilty pleasure, or he vows to never speak to me again. He’s been busy setting up the new office that now takes up a few floors of the Reilly Tech building downtown. But the fancy pants director of Maddox Security, West Coast Division, still finds time for me. John is at work, and I’ll be leaving for the bar in a few hours. My dad is catching up with some old buddies and plans to bring them to The Lone Boot later.
I turn my head to face him.
“You were pretty cozy with Luke at the party last weekend,” he says.
I’ve been waiting for someone to bring it up, but it’s like they had a secret pact to keep their mouths shut.
“He told me he regretted leaving me. But it doesn’t matter. The damage is done.”
He grunts but says nothing.
“Why is it so hard to be happy?” I ask.
“Because the world is cruel and delights in causing pain.”
I meet his gaze. “Then why do we keep trying?”
“Simple. To prove that it can be as cruel as it wants, but it won’t win.”
“How do you know?”
He reaches over and takes my hand. “Because our family will set the world on fire for us, even when we think we’ve already lost.”
I smile at him and squeeze his hand.
“You’re such a softy,” I say, and he laughs.
“Let’s keep that between us, ok? I have a reputation to uphold.” He fake scowls, and I lean over and hug him.
The next afternoon, I walk into the gym alone. Luke looks up from the front desk and smiles. I smile back, ignoring the heat that continues to swirl between us. We haven’t talked since the party last weekend, and I need to clear things up. Maybe an honest, sober chat is what we both need to move forward.
Jeremy waves from a treadmill nearby and slows to a walk. I hold up my finger to tell him I need a minute, and he nods.
“Hey, do you have a second?” I ask Luke.
“Sure.” He moves around the counter to my side and stops in front of me, putting his hands in his pockets. “What’s up?”
“I didn’t mean to stir things up when we spoke last weekend. But I want to clarify that nothing has changed between us.”
His smile slips. “Nothing?”
I blink in surprise and fidget with the hem of my shirt. “The threat is still out there, right? You made your stance clear.”
He stares at me for so long, I swear he can see into my wounded soul.
“I meant what I said, Liv. I regret my decision. You deserved a say, and I had no right to take that away from you. I’m sorry.”
A few moments pass as I stare at him. Why does my chest hurt? “What?” Never in a million years did I think I’d hear those words from his lips.
He hesitates, but forges on. “I want to earn your forgiveness.”
I bring my hand up to my heart as it throbs. He searches my eyes as he moves closer, lowering his voice so only I can hear. “But if that’s not what you want, I’ll back off. I have an opportunity to work on a Maddox project in New York. I’ll move out there and you’ll never have to see me again.” He swallows hard and my eyes burn. We stare at each other as I try to figure out seven months’ worth of emotions in a single minute.
“You guys, ok?” Mark calls as he and Brando approach. I hear them, but it’s muted. Luke’s gaze never leaves mine. My heartbeat pounds in my ears. I could forgive him and trust that he’ll never hurt me again. Or, I can say goodbye. Luke will leave my life and everyone he knows and loves just to make it easier for me. It doesn’t feel right. A tear slips down my face without permission and he cradles my head with his hands.
