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“The thing is, I do want to hear about your life, and I think you probably need to talk about it. Have you ever told anyone what happened?”
She eyed him warily.
“No, it’s never come up. Sure, people ask the generic ‘where are you from?’ question,” she scoffed, glancing over his shoulder but not really seeing the rambunctious kids in the background. “People want a bland answer to that loaded question. They don’t want to hear about a little girl tossed around in foster care suffering different types of mistreatment in every home until she runs away.”
“Or you’ve gotten so good at deflecting that you’ve dodged the questions and concerns over the years.”
Huffing, she gazed over at the pies in the glass case across from them but stayed quiet.
“Okay. You don’t have to tell me anything, but I’m not going to let you decide all the terms of this relationship in a vacuum.”
Her eyes flew back to meet his. “Relationship?”
“Yes.” A slow smile formed on his mouth, and he squeezed her hand. “Relationship. When two consenting adults like each other and enjoy each other’s company so they decide to spend time together. It’s called a relationship.”
She squirmed in her seat. Thankfully, the waitress arrived, but Finn quickly ordered a half dozen items and the woman left to get their drinks. Leaning forward, he waited for Hailey to meet his eyes.
“If you think I’m just going to hook up with you and follow you around in court like a puppy, you’ve got the wrong guy.”
“I never asked you to follow me around.”
“No, but you assume you’re in charge of our case and our relationship because you’re used to calling all the shots in your life.”
“Hello pot, I think I’m the kettle.”
He nodded. “I’m capable of letting you take the lead, as long as I get a say. It’s a partnership in my mind.”
“I’m not good at that. I don’t know how to trust that you won’t mess up this case or screw me over to get partner.”
“I get that, but I’m asking you to please try. I won’t screw you over for anything.”
She fiddled with her napkin with one hand as his other hand remained steady, settled over hers, forcing her to feel the comfort he offered.
“And the relationship, what does that mean to you?” she dared to ask.
“Same thing. You trust me to honor you, care for your feelings, and you do likewise for me. I’m not asking you to relive every dark day in your past, but I would like to know you better. This beguiling beauty you try so hard to hide and that brilliant mind for the law didn’t just come from nowhere.”
Hailey took a deep breath.
“I was born in Virginia, but we moved when I was little for my dad’s work to North Carolina. My parents’ marriage was volatile, and my dad walked out on my mom, a lot. The last time he didn’t come back and my mom fell apart. She died young with no family in the area, and I ended up in foster care. I was nine.”
She paused, recognizing concern in Finn’s eyes. He gave her hand a squeeze, and she took a sip of her water before continuing.
“Foster care is as bad as you can imagine. At sixteen, after my foster dad treated my arm like a torture experiment, I ran away. But I knew I had a grandmother in Virginia so I made my way back to the one address I’d seen in my file and she was living in a rundown house. She needed help and I needed a place to stay off the streets, which were scarier than foster care. Gran let me stay, and I made myself useful. Once I turned eighteen I didn’t have to hide from foster care and got my GED.”
The air seemed thick, and she avoided his eyes, not wanting to see the pity or disgust in his gorgeous face.
“I don’t like how people treat me once they know I was thrown away in foster care. Like I’m damaged goods. Or some charity case.”
Finn gripped her hand. “I don’t think that. I think you’re a warrior, a survivor. You’re the most intelligent and passionate lawyer I’ve met, but that isn’t even the most interesting part about you to me.”
Daring to meet his eyes, she didn’t see pity. It was more like a fire of need.
“I want nothing more than to learn all your secrets so I can feel closer to you and guard them for you. Maybe then you can let them go and open up to me more.”
“You do?”
“Yes, and it’s not just because I find you insanely beautiful but I’m drawn to you, like a puzzle piece I didn’t know was missing. I crave you, Hailey. Every day, I wake up excited to see you, and every night, I replay what we did together, wondering if you’re feeling this vibe between us too.”
