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“If we do this, we should have some ground rules,” I say, and Rhett sits up straighter.
“What kind of rules?”
“Like a timeline. We’ll have an end date where we ‘break up.’ We have to have so many ‘dates’ a week or something.”
“Okay, I can agree with that. What else?” He asks, and I bite my lip, trying to think of other ground rules.
“Um, no dating anyone else or sleeping with anyone else during that time.”
“I wouldn’t,” he says, and I nod.
“Me either.”
“Okay, so we agree on those rules. What else?”
“I don’t know. I guess we can add more as we go?”
He nods, and I look around the busy café.
“We should get our background story straight and maybe some key facts about each other so if anyone asks, we’re all on the same page.”
“Well, I’m Rhett St. James. I was a Navy SEAL up until about five months ago. I was deployed and my unit was ambushed. I was shot and sent back to the VA hospital here. I got out after that.”
He pushes some of his hair out of his eyes, and I notice then that his left shoulder seems a little stiff. I’m guessing that’s where he was injured.
“I’m Quinn Walder. My parents are well off, and they keep trying to set me up with their well-off friends’ sons.”
“And you don’t want that?”
“No, not at all. They’re all so stuck up and boring. I don’t want that life.”
“Are your parents going to be okay with us dating? I don’t come from money. Not even close. My parents were addicts and abusive assholes.”
“Rhett,” I start.
“It’s okay. I don’t see or talk to them anymore. My sister and I survived that and we’re okay,” he rushes to add, but I still feel uneasy.
My heart is breaking for a young Rhett who had to deal with all of that. My parents weren’t present or super active in my life, but they always were able to provide for me, and I never had to worry about them hitting me or anything.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” I say honestly.
“I know. It’s okay,” he says again, and I nod.
“I don’t know how they’ll react when I introduce you to them, but I’m hoping they'll back off if they see that you’re sticking around. I just need to buy myself some time to get my blog off of the ground and then hopefully, I’ll be traveling a lot and won’t have to see them that often.”
“What blog?” Rhett asks with interest, and it catches me off guard.
It's the first time I’ve told someone my plans where the person has shown interest or been supportive of it in any way. It’s nice, but maybe a little sad that it’s a stranger that is the first person to do that for me.
“I started a travel blog. I went to art school for photography, and my dream is to travel the world and find cool spots to photograph. Maybe do some photo shoots every now and then,” I say, and Rhett smiles.
“I bet you’d be good at that,” he says with a bright smile, and my heart flips over in my chest.
I can tell that he really means that. He hasn’t even seen any of my photos, but he means it. I’ve never had anyone believe in me so much.
“I’ve started it, but just with local spots. I know I need to branch out, I just… haven’t gotten that far yet.”
I can’t seem to bring myself to admit to this fearless Navy SEAL that I’m afraid to travel anywhere alone. I know, deep down, that he wouldn’t judge me. Rhett seems like the most supportive, kind man I’ve ever met, and I’m sure he’d understand, but I still can’t say the words.
