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No one had ever said that to me. Not even Tatum, who mostly sat and listened, which had been a gift in and of itself. But what Cat said to me? Removing me from the equation and laying the responsibility squarely on my father’s shoulders was mind-bending. It left me a little light-headed. I had spent years attempting to understand his behavior, justifying it to try to make sense of what I had lived through.
In a single moment, she’d summarized the years of relentless torture and simultaneously judged him for it. It wasn’t your fault, is what I heard. It was on him. He was the adult, the father. I was the child, the helpless one, and he’d taken advantage of that inequity. I already knew Cat was smart and perceptive, but she became my savior in that moment. By being there for me, by succinctly stripping away the excuses for his behavior, she’d gifted me with the freedom that eluded me for years. I’d never be able to repay her, and that only bound me to her more securely.
“I know it now,” I replied.
The car rolled to a stop at a red light at the corner of the college. To our left was the towering crenellated black entrance gate framing Barnard Hall, a three-level red brick building with Corinthian columns.
As we waited for the light to change, she asked, “What did he do to you, Luca?”
She wanted the details, and I was powerless to keep them from her, even if it shamed me to admit to having once been so weak. But if I could be weak with anyone, it was with her.
“He was into punishment and humiliation. He tried to break my spirit. There were the usual beatings and whippings, but he would also gag me and throw me into a dog crate for hours, things like that,” I replied with a thick swallow around the constriction of my throat. It was hard getting the words out.
I pressed my foot on the accelerator, rolling past the light when a man sprinted across the middle of the street. Braking hard, the car lurched and Cat slammed hard against her seatbelt, gasping harshly.
“The fuck,” I shouted, my arm crossing over her chest. Honking, I scowled at the foolish student who’d weaved in between passing cars.
“Are you okay, baby?” I queried, worry clogging my chest.
Hand on her chest, she said, “Yeah, I’m fine. Thank God, you have good reflexes and braked in time. We would’ve definitely hit him.” Peering over at the young man laughing with the crowd of friends he’d joined, she shook her head. “What the hell?”
Driving on, I turned into the nearest street, searching for parking. Eventually, I found a spot on Riverside Drive.
Her hand touched my forearm. My eyes shifted to her. Holding my gaze, she swallowed and said, “I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve been through, and I know you only scraped the surface. God, Luca, you’re a survivor and I’m awed by your endurance. I already thought you were incredible, but now…to know what I know, it humbles me.”
Her praise left me speechless. My gaze roved over her face, riveted. There was only one thing I wanted to do and so I did it. My lips ghosted over hers slowly. She released a little sigh of delight. I took that as an invitation. My hand slipped beneath her thick hair and clasped her nape, bringing her in closer. Our mouths opened to each other and I dipped in for my first taste of this gorgeous creature. Goddamn, the flavor of sweet peaches and nectarines exploded on my tongue. I groaned, delving in deeper. Fuck, I hadn’t intended to taste her, but I was vulnerable, and her praise cut me at the knees.
Her fingers clung to my shirt, her tits pressing against my chest with the most delicious pressure. My hand slid down her side to palm her ass. Aww hell, I had to stop before it went any further. I had to.
I took another slow swipe of her mouth and forced myself to pull away before we reached the point of no return because there was a fair chance that her cherry would get popped in the back seat of my car. She nipped my bottom lip before I broke away completely and it took every ounce of control not to haul her back for more.
We were both panting, our breaths mingling together.
I leaned over her and shoved her door open.
“Out,” I warned.
One leg out of the car, she turned to me and asked, “Are you sure you want to keep your fancy car parked on the street? Why don’t we drive it to a lot?”
The little minx was baiting me.
“Parking lots are for wimps. But, more to the point, if I stay any longer, there’s a good chance we’re going to do a hell of a lot more than kiss.”
I heard a gasp behind me as I swung my door open. Facing away from her, I smirked. “Come on, you’ll be late.”
We entered onto the college campus through the front gate we’d passed earlier. A collection of stately red brick buildings encircled a lawn sprinkled with groups of students. I stopped one and asked for directions to the building where Cat’s class was situated. She was practically bobbing up and down in excitement as we strolled through the campus.
Walking beside me down a path around a pristine lawn in front of the right building, Cat’s shoulders slumped.
“What is it?” I asked, immediately on the alert.
“My best friend from school, Jewel, will be starting here in the fall. In fact, she’s living on campus for the summer. I wanted to join her, but my parents didn’t see the point of me starting college when I’m getting married. I hope Nicu won’t mind if I take a class or two,” she replied, darting a worried look my way.
“You like studying,” I noted.
“Yeah, I was valedictorian after all,” she confided forlornly.
My eyebrows rose. Valedictorian of that prestigious prep school? “Impressive.”
