Page 260 of Unexpected Heroine

That was fortunate, considering, until Lettie, I didn’t know I was capable of love.

My silence must make her think I don’t believe her assertion, so she doubles down. “I’m serious. He does.”

“So he says,” I toss.

“He’s told you before?”

A prickling sensation scatters over my chest. Unable to answer verbally, I offer a crisp nod.

She twists her body to face me, hitching her left ankle onto the edge of the seat. I try not to notice how the position change brings our joined hands farther up her thigh, closer to her warm center. It proves an impossible task.

Perhaps my mind is attempting to distract me from thoughts about Big Al by showing me visions of my hand cupping her pussy and ordering her to grind against it. No doubt I can make her come ten times faster than that vibrator she used the other night.

Fuck. I shift in my seat to give my hardening cock a bit of room.

“You don’t believe he loves you?” she challenges.

Despite opening my mouth to answer, I’m unable to get out the words. My response gets clogged in my throat.

“Tomer, why wouldn’t you believe him?”

The sound of my name on her lips will never grow old.

“I don’t know,” I hedge, then bite my cheek to stop from revealing too much of my darkness.

“You said you would only tell me the truth from now on.” She shoves my hand off her leg, shifting back toward her door. “I guess that was another lie.”

If I were standing, I’d fall to the ground since those words cut me off at the knees. “Okay, fine. I know why. But I don’t want to dump that on you.”

“Whatever,” she scoffs under her breath.

I wish I could open up to her. If she knew how fucked-up I really was, she’d either leave me out of disgust or stay because of pity. And each time I expose her to my darkness, I risk dulling her sunshine.

The hum of the tires rolling down the rough roads drowns out the thick silence surrounding us.

About two miles from the shelter, she asks, “Can we stop for food?”

Her question catches me off guard, so it takes a moment for me to process the risks. “Not the best idea. We can’t risk going inside a restaurant. I’m not keen on the grocery store either.”

“Drive-thru?”

She sounds so optimistic. I don’t want to tell her no.

“Wait. I thought you only wanted sealed food.”

She clasps her hands in her lap, glancing downward. “Wanted to try it.”

“Another experiment?”

“Yeah. I thought maybe I could eat with you around, given I could drink the water you gave me. But it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Nibbling my lip, I hem and haw, aching to please her while still determined to keep her safe.

Doesn’t take long for me to realize I can’t make this decision effectively. I’m compromised by my love and need to please her, so I call Sawyer.

While it’s ringing, Lettie grumbles, “A phone call? Gross.”

A smile teases my mouth.

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