Page 65 of Just One Night Together

He had to go home, where it was safe.

Where the world was safe from him.

He tugged on his clothes, well aware that Haley was watching him without getting out of bed. She probably was horrified. She probably thought there was something wrong with him.

There was.

“You didn’t just serve,” she said with that quiet conviction he found so unnerving. “You have PTSD.”

And just like that, the secret Damon struggled to hide was out in the open. He felt exposed and vulnerable, which didn’t exactly help in his current situation.

He had to get out.

Immediately.

* * *

Damon was ex-military,and he had PTSD. Haley felt stupid for not seeing the truth sooner, even though that was hardly her area of expertise.

She just believed she should understand everyone’s issues.

And preferably fix them.

She saw the panic in Damon’s eyes when she made her guess and knew enough about the condition that she understood he’d want to flee.

Nightmares, flashbacks or bad dreams.

Heightened fight-or-flight response.

Emotional detachment.

The list of symptoms unfurled in her mind and she easily identified the ones she’d noticed in his behavior.

“It’s not your concern,” he snapped, grabbing his T-shirt.

Haley moved quickly. She was on her feet and leaning against the door to the corridor by the time Damon turned. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but she saw in his eyes that he wasn’t as confident in that. “Itismy concern, because you’re here in my apartment.”

“That won’t happen again.”

“It might not. What is going to happen is that we’re going to talk about this.”

“Not on your life.”

“It’s not my life that’s at stake,” Haley replied calmly. “It’s yours.”

He grimaced and looked away, one hand tightening into a fist. “You don’t understand.”

“Not completely, no. That doesn’t mean I can’t help.”

“It does!” His eyes flashed.

“Didn’t you have treatment?”

“It was a long time ago.” He pushed his hand through his hair. “I have a system. I have a routine. They taught me that and it works.”

“Until you’re stressed,” Haley guessed. “Then the symptoms get worse again.”

“I have a system,” he said, grinding out the words. If sheer willpower could heal him, it would have done so already. Haley was in awe of his discipline. “I’m not going to talk about this. I’m going to get through it.”

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