Page 106 of The Exception

“It does, but also, I’m tired of keeping this secret.” There was a tense, pregnant pause. And then I said, “I have alopecia.” I pointed to my head. “This is a wig. I lost most of my hair before I was thirteen, and I’ve worn wigs ever since. I don’t have any body hair, including eyebrows or eyelashes. I have to apply them.”

He was quiet. Contemplative. And then he stepped closer. “I don’t know much about alopecia. Is it painful?”

“Only when people bully you for something you have no control over. When you’re teased. Called everything from ‘a freak of nature’ to the ‘hairless wonder,’” I said, trying not to let the memories affect me. When I looked at him, he was glowering. “But physically, no. It doesn’t hurt.”

He narrowed his eyes, a muscle in his jaw popping. “Names. I need their names.”

“Graham.” I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the raw strength beneath my palm. His muscles were clenched as if he were bracing for a fight—as if he’d fight the world for me. “They were stupid kids. It doesn’t matter.” Though, it wasn’t just stupid kids; it had been my siblings too. Some of the guys I’d dated hadn’t been much better.

“It does, and you know it. Words have power. And the things they said to you—” He shook his head, disappointment radiating off of him in waves. “Anyone would be affected by that.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Graham had understood and validated my feelings more than anyone else ever had, even my parents. Most of the time it had felt as if I were a burden. Or that they didn’t understand me or know how to deal with me.

In the beginning, trying to determine the cause of my hair loss had been time-consuming and expensive. Then, once we’d discovered it was alopecia, someone had suggested wigs. Wigs weren’t cheap, nor were the creams and medicines we’d used to try to regrow my hair, to no avail.

My siblings had been brutal. Even if they weren’t mocking me, they always seemed to resent me for getting so much attention from Mom and Dad. It wasn’t like I’d asked forthe attention. Or that Iwantedthe hair loss.

But Graham had been kind. Caring. Sympathetic.

For a man who had been labeled as cold and heartless, he was anything but. At least, not with me. He was warm and understanding. Accepting. No one had believed me, stepped up for me, until Graham.

“I don’t want to dwell on the past,” I finally said. “I just thought I should mention it because it might come up.”

His body was still coiled tight with tension, so I placed my hand on his arm. “Thank you for wanting to defend me. No one…” I swallowed, shoving back the feeling of tears. “Well, you’re the first to…besides Jo anyway.”

“What about your family?” he asked.

I shook my head. And that reminder only reaffirmed my decision to cut them out of my life. Maybe one day we could try to have a relationship again, though things would have to change drastically. Because I was done letting them walk all over me. Letting them treat me the way they had.

It hurt to admit that, but it also felt freeing.

I was creating my own family. With Luc and the artisans. With the community around me. With Jo and even with Graham—at least for now.

He gnashed his teeth. “I’m sorry, Lil.” He pulled me to him, hugging me. “That’s shitty. But now you have me, and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

My tears—like my voice—were muffled by his chest. “Thank you.”

He held me as long as I needed, giving me space and compassion and support. I’d never felt so…loved. Not that he loved me, but I felt it all the same. Finally, reluctantly, I pulled back.

“I’m honored that you told me.” He cupped my cheek. “That you trust me.”

Okay. Seriously? This was the kind of reaction I’d always dreamed of. We’d see if he still felt the same when he saw my bald head, but I was melting at his sincerity and concern—for me.

“Thank you for making it easy to tell you.” God, it was such a relief to finally share this huge thing with him.

“You must save a ton of money on hair removal and hair care.”

I laughed. Leave it to the businessman to consider the financial implications of my condition. “You’d think that, but buying high-quality eyelashes and wigs gets expensive. Well, not this wig.” I flicked my hair aside. “It’s relatively cheap, all things considered.”

Plus, there was the cost of creams to keep the skin of my head from drying out. Kits to make my eyebrows look realistic. Scarves and hats…

He slipped his hand into mine. Warm. Comforting. “Will you show me sometime?” he asked as we resumed walking. “Only if you feel comfortable.”

I nodded, surprised by how readily I’d agreed. But also…not.

“So I had an idea. About how to work on our image as a couple.”

“Yeah?”

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