Page 72 of Tee’d Up For Trouble

I frowned, crossed my arms, and waited.

“I’m sorry for not trusting you.” She met my eyes. “For believing Cillian’s lies. For…pushing you away.”

Hearing those words from Dee—stubborn, independent, fiery Dee—felt like the clouds breaking after a long storm. But I didn’t let myself relax just yet.

“So, you trust me now?”

She nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yes,” she breathed.

“What was all that you’re in bed with the developers shite?”

She swallowed. “I…I got scared that you were and…I just got scared.”

I took a deep breath. “Dee, darlin’, I love you.”

She blinked.

“I think…no, I know you love me.”

“It’s too soon,” she said, sounding desperate. “I mean, we barely know each other, Jax.”

I tilted my head and raised both eyebrows. “Stop spewing bullshit.”

Her eyes flashed with anger at my words. “Only a moron confesses to falling in love in a few weeks. Grown-ups wait to get to know someone before confessing eternal love.”

“You think I’m a moron?”

“You think I spew bullshit?” she challenged.

I liked this Dee much better than the one who was hurting. But we needed to clear the air.

“Dee, you hurt me. A lot. And now, when you refuse to admit how you feel, you're hurting me some more.”

She gasped, her eyes filling with tears. Ah fuck!

“I never want to hurt you, Jax.”

I believed her. “I know, but I need more. I get why you didn’t trust me. You’ve been hurt before. I get it. But Dee, I’ve been here for weeks. I’ve stood by your side, I’ve fought for this village, and I’ve fought for you. I’ve done everything I can to prove I’m not likehim. At some point, you’ve got to stop expecting me to let you down.”

She flinched, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I know. It’s just when Cillian came in with those pictures, it felt like history repeating itself.”

I let out a slow breath, my chest tightening at the rawness in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, her green eyes locking on mine. “For doubting you. For being such a stubborn, impossible pain in the arse. You didn’t deserve that.”

“No.” A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I didn’t. But I’m not exactly easy either, so maybe we’re even.”

She let out a soft laugh, and the sound was like music.

“I don’t deserveyou, Jax,” she said, her voice breaking slightly. “But I want to try. If you’ll let me.”

I closed the distance between us in two quick steps, my hands settling on her shoulders as I tilted her chin up to look at me. “Dee, I’m not going anywhere,” I promised. “I told you that from the start. And I don’t care how hard you try to push me away—I’m staying. Because I love you, whether you like it or not.”

Her eyes softened, and she let out a shaky laugh. “You’re very hard not to love.”

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