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“I can see why Ryan is so protective of you, sweetheart. He may come across a bit… intense. After hearing what you’ve gone through, I can see where he’s coming from. He’s got his heart in the right place.”
“I know. Everyone at home has my best interest at heart. But in their eyes, I’ll always be the impulsive fourteen-year-old who got carried away and paid dearly. Their attempts to keep me toe the line are not only exhausting—it’s suffocating me. I’ve felt for so long that I couldn’t breathe…”
She leaned back and searched his eyes with hers for a moment. He didn’t know what she’d looked for before she continued, “Until I met you. I know things are casual between us—and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I think I made a mistake.”
He tightened his grip on her waist, furrowing his brows. “What do you mean?”
She sighed. “I don’t think I can handle casual, Dev. I know that I said I could… but I think I’m not in the same mindset anymore.”
“You know how I said that I wasn’t there yet?”
His heart warmed at seeing the hope flare in her eyes. “I want to see where this can lead. I’ve never had a girlfriend before… Never thought I would ever ask a girl to be mine. With you, I want this. I want you. I know you’re a lot younger than me, but it doesn’t bother me as I thought it would. Maybe it’s because of everything you’ve been through, but you’re wise for your age.”
She huffed a breath. “I’m nowhere close to being wise, Dev.”
It angered him how she talked herself down. He wondered where that bullshit came from. From what he’d seen at that reunion at her parents’ farm, and earlier when he’d met her brother, the Moore family had seemed tight.
It wouldn’t take long before dusk would overflow into total darkness in these parts, close to the river and away from the city. He wanted to take her home with him, but he hesitated asking her. She needed time to work things out with her family.
“Can I stay with you tonight? Just for one night? I promise that—”
He fully meant it when he said, “You can stay with me, Little Bird. And you can stay as long as you want.”
