Page 26 of My Secret to Protect

Even while I was crying myself to sleep back then, I knew what we shared was real. Then, I was left to wonder if maybe I was just a way for him to pass the summer before he cut me off and moved on to his fall girl. He was part of an motorcycle club, for fucks sake. Those men fuck a new woman every hour.

Maybe I wasn’t even the only one that summer. Maybe I was just convenient and easy at the time, but then he looks at me the way he did yesterday, and I know he remembers it the way it was. Special, perfect, and the memory of him pushing me out of his life hurts all over again.

‘Ooh, Arlo, hey.’ Missy waves excitedly, and I swallow, straightening in my seat. Fuck. He came.

‘Hey,’ his deep voice drawls behind me, and I smell his cologne. I can’t help but inhale the delicious scent, noting how different it is from that of the man who has me running scared.

‘Join us,’ Cara says, gesturing to the empty seat next to mine, and the guys all look up to take in the man.

‘You sure I’m not intruding?’

‘Not at all, man,’ my brother says, holding out his hand. ‘I’m Doug.’ The fact that he doesn’t squeeze and has a welcoming smile on his face tells me neither Cara nor Zoe has filled him in on the past.

‘Arlo.’ He shakes Doug’s hand and then looks at Leo. ‘Leo, right?’

‘Yeah, I thought I recognized you. I tattooed you a few times.’

‘You did, small world.’ He shakes Leo’s hand, and then Nick holds up his.

‘Hey, I’m Nick.’

‘The town vet,’ Missy says proudly.

‘Nice, I have a dog who is pretty much the most important thing in the world to me, so I’ll be seeing you.’

Nick smiles wide, and Arlo turns his attention to me.

‘Bree, how are you tonight?’

‘I’m good, thank you.’ I turn to meet his gaze, and he holds it, his ice eyes imprisoning me.

‘So, Arlo,’ Doug says, making Arlo turn to him, ‘what brought you to Forest Falls?’

And with that, my favorite people in the world welcome him with open arms. I listen as they chat, laugh, and get to know each other, and I can’t contribute. I try, but I feel like I’m not really here. I feel like I’m floating, watching this man fit in with these people better than I do right now.

Without a word, I stand and walk away, needing some space and finding myself at the bar.

‘You okay, twinnie?’ I turn to find Zoe smiling at me softly.

‘I’m fine.’

‘He’s kind of charming.’

I shake my head, smiling at her turnaround. After she called me the morning after meeting him to tell me not to let him back in and how she wanted to kick his ass, now she thinks he’s charming.

‘Motherhood has made you soft.’

She laughs and nods. ‘I know. I’m sorry. Do you want me to hate him? Because I will.’

‘No, I don’t want you to hate him. I’m guessing by the fact that the guys seem to like him, you didn’t tell Leo or Doug I have a history with him.’

‘No, we figured that was your story to tell, not ours. Also thought Arlo could use some guy friends in his new town, so didn’t want to set him up on the back foot.’ Jesus, she really has gone soft. ‘It was real, wasn’t it, what you two had?’

Nodding, I search for the words.

‘Realest thing I ever felt.’

‘And he didn’t feel the same way?’

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