Page 76 of Love Me Gently

“I hope you go to New York and are as miserable as you’ve made Cole. You’ll never find someone like that up there. I hope you fail and live a long, lonely, and painful life.”

She’d spat the words at me at graduation, when everyone around us had clearly taken Cole’s side in the break-up. Who knew Ashley had been so clairvoyant?

Not me. Not then. But that didn’t mean the weight of her words hadn’t hit me like a two-ton truck slamming into me, running me over, and then backing up to make sure I was done for.

Perhaps that was why I’d fought so hard when I got there. I’d wanted to prove everyone wrong. I’d wanted to return to Deer Creek a star. I’d wanted everyone, especially Ashley, to eat their words and be jealous of me and all I’d accomplished…

And look at me now…

My eyes burned and I spun, intending to take off down the stairs, but a warm hand wrapped around my arm.

“Hey,” Cole said.

I froze at his touch, the surprise of it, and the strength in his hold.

He let me go and cursed. “I’m sorry, Trina. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I don’t think I can do this,” I whispered. “I can’t face her again, and there’s no point. Val said Jonathan is pissed and looking for me and if he doesn’t know I’m here, he will soon. She said he already suspects it, and you’re not hard to find, and now I’m putting you at risk. Your girls….”

Everyone. I was putting everyone at risk.

“Hey. Hey there.” He reached out again and took my hand.

Warmth flooded my fingertips as soon as he entwined our fingers together and rushed straight to my rapidly beating heart.

“Come here, Trina. Look at me.” He tugged on my hand, gently but firmly, and kept tugging until I was forced to turn.

I stared at his floor. It was clean because I’d spent hours making sure his house was perfect even though he’d come back home and told me I didn’t have to clean for them.

I couldn’t help it. I’d neededsomethingto do to get rid of the anxiety choking me.

The floor and my sock-covered feet blurred in my vision, and I shook my head. “I can’t, Cole. I can’t do this.”

His hand fell from mine and reached out. I forced myself not to flinch as it came up, and his thumb pressed to my chin. “Look at me,” he repeated and pushed against my chin.

I shivered and fought against meeting his eyes as he lifted my face.

He was in front of me, so close. So handsome and asgoodas he’d always been, and I was… tainted.

I’d bring him nothing but ugliness, and it was so frustrating he couldn’tseethat.

“You’re safe, and you’re okay.” He proclaimed the words like he believed them to the depths of his soul. “Jonathan can’t hurt you. I won’t allow it. Andno onewill hurt my girls. Absolutely not.”

“You don’t know him.” My chin wobbled and his fingers brushed along my jaw. Another shiver sent shock flames to my chest.

Handsome wasn’t strong enough to describe him. Beautiful too feminine, but as I locked eyes with his deep russet eyes, it felt like I could get lost in them. Lost in his promises and proclamations.

For once, I had the desperate desire to see what he saw when he looked at me. What made him treat me with such tender care and be so kind.

And that was maybe more terrifying than anything else.

Even Jonathan.

I sniffed and stepped back. His hand fell, but the warmth in his gaze only heated me further. “You’resafehere, Trina. To do anything you want, be anyone you want to be.”

He’d told me that before. I didn’t believe it any more or any less this time. And that lingering, hopefulwhat ifI’d spent all week pondering was suddenly nowhere to be found.

Doubts and fears assailed, and it had everything to do with the visitors who would be arriving any minute. Visitors Ihadto see. Maybe if Cole finally saw what I knew I would, he’d see the truth, too.

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