Page 76 of Losing Faith

I pluck a piece of grass. “I jokingly asked him what he’d think aboutusand he made it clear that he’d be physically hurting you.”

He lets out a sigh before burying his face in his hands. I leave him to his thoughts for a beat before he looks over at me. “If I tell him nothing happened yet, he might not be as mad. I can make him think I’m asking rather than telling him this is happening whether he’s on board or not.”

I shake my head at the sincerity in his voice. “Do you not think you can take him in a fight?”

He laughs. “I think I have a pretty good chance, but I’m not going to beat him up and thensleep with his sister. I’m not an asshole.”

I bite back a laugh. “You wouldn’t fight to the death for me?”

His eyes dart to mine, a smile on his pretty face that makes his one dimple pop. “I find it concerning that you want me to. Would you fight to the death for me?”

I shake my head in disappointment. “And to think men used to go to war for their country.”

He throws his head back with a laugh. “Am I less of a man for not fighting to thedeathfor you?”

I shrug.

“Does it make it better knowing I’d do it for my daughter?”

“Fair enough,I guess.” Playfully rolling my eyes at him, I glance off to the side. I watch as Isabelle and my brother run past us, the tree blocking my view. Facing forward again, I feel Jackson watching me and when I look at him, a smirk is on his face.

His eyes cast down Sire’s hoodie I’m in before they land on my bare thighs. “How are you?”

I glance down at the scars on my leg before looking up at him. “Is that your way of asking if my crippling depression is pushing me to hurt myself today?”

He shakes his head as he brings a hand to my thigh. “That’s my way of saying I’m mad at myself for only scheduling tutoring for three days a week because I haven’t seen you in two days and I want to kiss you, but your brother is right behind you.”

A smile stretches across my face.

“But since you brought it up.” He turns more serious. “How are you feeling?” He rubs his thumb along on my scars and I’m surprised when it makes me feel better.

I open my mouth to voice a joke but stop short. Maybe it’s because he shared such a vulnerable part of himself earlier, but I consider letting my walls down just a bit.

At the sound of his daughter’s distant laugh from somewhere behind us, a smile touches my lips. “I was having a pretty shitty few days, but today just got better.”

He moves his hand from my leg before plucking a flower from beside us. “Here you go.” He holds it out to me with a smile.

“Why do you think flowers are going to heal me?”

He takes my hand before placing the flower in my palm. “I don’t think flowers will heal you. I just like seeing that smile on your face whenever I give you one.”

I try to wipe the smile off my face, but I’m failing. He leans over and plucks a bigger flower before tucking my hair behind my ear with it.

He looks between my eyes as he shakes his head in thought. “You’re so damn pretty.”

I stifle a laugh as I turn away. “I look like shit.” I gesture to Sire’s clothes that I dirtied during breakfast. Picking up a few strands of greasy hair, I show him my split ends, but he’s still smiling.

“Well, you’re the most gorgeous piece of shit I’ve ever seen.”

I break into a laugh, and when I look over at him, he’s still watching me.

“I accomplished something pretty big yesterday,” I start. “You haven’t unlocked that side of me, so I’m not telling you what it is, but if you knew, you’d be proud.”

His gaze softens as a smile touches his lips. “I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”

I falter at his name for me and it might just be the praise kink talking, but if he said that to me more often, I might actually stay clean long enough to finally get my year sober chip.

“Do you really mean that?” I find myself asking.

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