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I didn’t need to elaborate. She knew who I was talking about. “Better”—she sighed—“but his progress is still really slow.”
“He’ll catch up.” I lifted the bottle to my lips. “He’s tough. Like his mom.”
I tilted the beer back and took a long drink, only pulling it away from my lips when she spoke. “I hope he’s strong like Bear.”
I lowered the bottle slowly when I saw tears in her eyes. I hated seeing her like this, and I missed the girl who knew her strength and had so much damn confidence she blew me away. “You’re stronger than you think you are.”
She lifted the wine cooler, took a sip, and then made a face. “Ugh, note to self, never drink wine coolers after eating an omelet. The two do not taste good together.”
I grinned slowly and chuckled when she took a longer drink. “I thought it didn’t taste good.”
She swallowed and lowered the bottle, her grin matching mine. “Figured I’d wash out the taste completely so all I taste is wine.”
Pushing off the counter, I took a few steps toward her and set my bottle on the island between us. I gestured toward her now empty plate. “You want more?”
“No.” She shook her head and pushed her plate away. “Thank you for making that. I’d have probably eaten a bag of Doritos or something and gone to bed.”
“Or nothing at all.”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“You look tired.” I pointed out what was obvious to me and had been to Bear as well.
“I’m fine. Just getting back into the swing of things at work.” She lifted her hand and held her palm out to face me. “Don’t bother saying it’s too soon or I told you so. I’m not quitting my job.”
“Wasn’t going to say anything.”
She snorted. “Sure.”
“Why do you think I would?”
“Because I know how you think. How my brother thinks.” Her face flushed while she spoke. “You both think I can’t handle myself. That I make dumb decisions. And maybe you’re right.” She dropped her eyes. “But I need to be able to financially take care of Wyatt, and I don’t know what that means yet. I don’t know what all he’ll face. I read a lot about preemies, and sometimes they need more care, which means I need to be prepared.”
I agreed with a lot of what she said but not everything, and she needed to know that. “I don’t think you make dumb decisions. That’s twice in a week I’ve been told I think something about you that isn’t true. Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know.” She stood abruptly from her seat. “I’m gonna go to bed. I’m really tired.”
She moved around the counter, but I stopped her by wrapping my hand around her arm. She didn’t lift her eyes, but I didn’t need her to. She wasn’t herself, and I doubted anyone else had pointed it out to her. “Talk to me. Tell me why you think that.”
Her eyes once again filled with tears, and she averted her gaze, but I lifted my hand and tipped her chin so I could watch her. “Talk to me, baby.”
She closed her eyes and finally, fucking finally, admitted what had been bothering her, but I still didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. “I heard you.”
“Heard me?” I took a step closer and dropped my hand to her waist. “When?”
“You were talking to Bull. You told him you thought I was flaky and immature.”
My eyebrows drew together, and I searched my memory for that when it finally occurred to me. I had no idea she’d heard that. She never let on that she heard our conversation, but it made sense because after that night, the Becs I’d known had disappeared. Everything had stopped. She no longer sought me out to talk. I thought she finally understood I couldn’t go there, but now it made sense. “I did say that.”
She swallowed hard and tried to pull away, but I wrapped my arms around her waist. “Ask me why.”
“I don’t think I want to know.”
“I was lying,” I blurted out.
Her head shot up, and she met my stare. “What?”
“He wouldn’t let up. None of them would. They knew how I felt about you because I couldn’t hide it, but I also knew I couldn’t go there with you. I wasn’t strong enough. I was trying to get my life on track, trying to stay out of trouble. You were young and wild, a little reckless, and I knew I could fall back into that lifestyle easily.” I pulled her close to my body. “I made myself a promise when I walked out of that prison that I wasn’t going back. For any reason.”
