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“Where is he now? Do you talk to him?”
“I’ve seen him on social media. Married with three little girls.”
“And Shaun?”
“Social media.” She shrugged. “But no, I don’t talk to him anymore.”
“It’s just life, Tatum.” Charlie kissed her forehead.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s life. Maybe you haven’t found the right person to live your life with.”
“And you are? The right person?”
“I could be.”
“Look, Charlie.” She hooked her arms around his neck as he eased over on top of her and settled between her thighs. “I like you. I didn’t want to, but yes, I like you a lot.”
“Say that again.”
“You’re too good for me.”
“I won’t run,” he told her. “I won’t walk away. I won’t push you away.”
“You don’t deserve—”
“You?” He propped his elbows in the mattress and pushed her hair back from her face. “Is that what you were going to say?”
“No.”
“There would never be a day when anything I wanted to do would come before you. I would never choose school or the beach or surfing over you.”
“And what if I left you in bed with blue balls over and over again to rescue my junkie sister? Because I can’t just turn my back on her—”
“What makes you think I’d stay there in bed and let you deal with it alone?”
With a soft sob, she closed her eyes and rolled her head on her pillow. “What is it with me? I’m so dumb. I let you inside me, and I let you in my bed, and I keep falling in love. I can’t take another broken heart, Charlie.”
“I’m not gonna break your heart.”
“Everyone I’ve ever loved leaves me—”
“Open your eyes,” he commanded, relieved when she did so. “You know my family. My mother. You’ve met my sisters. You know me better than that.”
Eyes locked with his, she rolled her lips inward and sniffled.
“Don’t you?”
Her only answer was a small nod.
“I’m not goin’ anywhere.”
24
“There’s something different about you today.”
Tatum dragged her eyes from her laptop to find Everleigh standing at her table, watching her with a curious expression on her face.
