AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shook her head. “I’m so stupid and messed up.”
“You’re not stupid, baby.”
“I am!” she wailed as tears began gathering at the corners of her eyes. “I-I thought you were backtracking, and I thought that you were keeping things from me and—”
“It’s okay,” he said. “You’re here now. We’ll figure it out.”
“It’snotokay.” She came toward him again but stopped before she got within arm’s reach. “I’m…” A breath. “It’s not just that I thought you lied to me, which was stupid because we’ve been more open with each other than anyone in my life. Ever.”
He was glad to hear she felt the same.
That was why her doubt and words had sliced him to the quick.
“Look, honey, I’m not going to say that last night didn’t hurt. It did. Of course, it did. But we’re going to have misunderstandings. We’re going to need space.”
“I accused you of backtracking, andI’mthe one who was sliding in reverse, who was wrapped up in the past and not thinking straight.”
He couldn’t stand the space between them, so he closed it, took her in his arms. “Why, baby? What did you think I was going to do?”
A breath, her body trembling in his arms.
But she gave him the truth. “I thought if you went back to that type of job, that type oflife…I thought…No. I knew that you would eventually be unhappy with your work, and if you went back to being unhappy with work, that would translate to the rest of your life and—”
She broke off, swallowing hard, gaze darting away from his.
His throat was tight, voice barely a rasp, but he managed to ask, “And?” when she didn’t go on.
Her eyes connected with his but only for a heartbeat before they slid away again. “I knew, Iknewthat it wouldn’t take long for you to be unhappy with me.” Her chest rose and fell on a breath. “I knew that, eventually, you wouldn’t want me anymore either.”
So that was what had been going through her head.
Christ.
He’d been hurt and insecure and doubting, and she’d been…
Hurt.Insecure.
Doubting.
Not a surprise considering all the ground they’d covered.
He held her closer. “We covered a lot of ground these last couple of weeks. Of course, we’re bound to have a couple of small freak-outs.”
“You’re calling last night small?” she asked, mouth dropping open.
“Considering we’re here the following morning with our arms around each other?” he asked, cupping the side of her throat. “Then yeah, honey, I say that last night is small. You’re here. I’m here. We love each other.” He brushed his thumb over her pulse. “We’re going to fuck up. We’re going to get mad and stay stupid shit, of course we are. But,” he added, shifting closer, drawing her more tightly against him, “the important thing is that we come back together, that we figure it the fuck out, that we move forward because we’ve learned from those fuck ups.”
She dropped her forehead onto his chest. “How do you make it sound so easy?”
He leaned back enough to crouch, to meet her gaze. “Because loving you is the easiest thing that I have ever done.”
Now the tears were back, but he knew they were for a completely different reason even before she buried her face in his chest again, the dampness gathering on his shirt. “Dammit, honey,” she whispered. “That isn’t fair.”
He couldn’t stand her tears, happy, sad, or in between.
So, he tried to lighten her heart, her mind.
“Because I want to steal your job?”
