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At least she wasn’t the only one knocked off her axis.
“Why are you here?” The tension wound thick between them, coiling tight. She stuffed down the need that burned inside her to be in his arms.
Bently licked his lips and shifted on his feet. “I, uh. I was hoping you’d be willing to talk to me. I have some things I want to say. I didn’t want to involve TJ, so I waited out here. I hope that’s okay.”
“Did you come to talk about TJ?” She crossed her arms in front of her, a poor attempt at protecting herself from the devastating allure of this man. Her jaded heart pounded in her chest. Just being this close to him was too much.
“About us.” Pain and uncertainty flashed in his stormy blue eyes.
Belle’s resolve wavered. Her first instinct was to go to him, to comfort him, but she fought the urge. Clenching her hands into fists, she snapped, “I thought there was no us. It was just sex. That’s what you said, right?”
He winced and glanced at the floor. “I lied.”
“Yeah, I’d say. Everything was a lie. The only truth was that sentence. And I should have known it was all too good to be true.” She pushed past him, pulling her keys out to open her door.
“Angel, please—”
She spun around, anger blazing. “Don’t fucking call me that!”
His jaw ticced as he blinked rapidly. He searched the air around them as if the magic answer to this mess between them was there.
“Leave me alone. Don’t ever contact me again. Get off my property and don’t come back.” Her voice shook as she turned away, blocking him out. Belle inserted the key.
“I was terrified. You scared the shit out of me, making me feel things I never knew I was capable of. I thought—I thought I was broken, unable to love someone.”
Bently’s confession ripped the air from her lungs. She turned the knob. Her mind was reeling, hope and rejection warring inside Belle’s battered heart.
“I thought if I ever did love someone, the way I love you, I’d end up hurting them. I’d end up failing them like I failed my family.” Bently’s voice shook and wavered.
The air vibrated, the ground beneath her seemingly quaking from his confession. This was what she’d wanted all along. She’d just needed him to be vulnerable with her. Should she listen, or should she walk away? Was it too late?
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, dropping her bag on the floor before she turned to face him.
His eyes glimmered with unshed tears. Pain was etched across his beautiful face. Shadows of doubt and fear highlighted his chiseled jaw. Those clouded spheres reflected the scared little boy locked deep inside him. He was breaking her heart all over again. But was this how her mother had felt as she’d let her boyfriends come back in her life time and time again after they’d beaten her? Was she weak for hearing him out? Was it the same thing? Am I like her?
The small flame of hope in his gaze dimmed until nothing was left. He dropped his head, shoulders slumped. “I just want you to know that being with you meant everything to me. It was the only time I’d ever truly been me. You’re so amazing, and everything that happened was all my fault. It had nothing to do with you. You’re perfect the way you are.” His gaze met hers, honesty glowing back.
He continued. “I’ll leave you alone. But there’s something else you need to know. Whoever was following me took a picture of us together. They know you’re important to me. I don’t know if they’ll try to come after you, but I’ve had everyone at the station taking turns patrolling by a few times a day.”
What? This psycho had pictures of them? She was in danger?
“When did you see the picture?”
He looked down. “Same day as the blood message.”
All the pieces started to click into place. Why he’d been so upset and pushed her away. His overwhelming desire to protect her. She shook her head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
His gaze flicked back to hers. “I—I thought I could handle it. I’m sorry.”
She took a deep breath. Everything inside her spun and tipped, tumbled and plunged. “You made the decision for me. You never stopped to consider that I could be trusted. For weeks some psycho could have been watching and waiting outside my house where I live alone with TJ. I’m a shift worker! What if he tried to attack my brother when I wasn’t home? What if he came in when I was alone?” She shook her head and clenched her fists before she could do something she’d regret—like slap him.
He blinked, a tear slipping down both sides of his cheeks. “I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. But it wasn’t because I didn’t trust you. It was because I couldn’t trust me. I failed to protect you the moment that guy got you in his sights. I put you in danger just by being near you. You were not alone though. I had officers driving by a few times a day, and I . . . stayed close, but out of sight.”
“Get in here.” She opened the door wider.
He hesitated only a moment before he walked in, his scent invading her space, oak and sin twisting her up. She shut the door and took off her coat, then hung it on the hook.
TJ came down the stairs and halted, looking between her and Bently. “I see you got her to listen.” He smiled.
