Page 84 of His Virgin Romance Series

“I don’t think Jaredly is the right fit for you,” he continued unexpectedly.

“What do you mean?” I said, frowning at him.

“Come on; you came here because you dropped out of school and you wanted a fresh start. Obviously, that didn’t work out for you. I don’t think city life is your thing. You’re too…honest and kind and naïve.”

“What are you saying?” I asked.

His words were hitting home, and when he mentioned that he thought I was naïve, I felt even more ridiculous. Apparently, everyone saw it, and apparently, some people had taken advantage of that.

“I’m saying maybe it would be a good idea to go back home and live with Mom and Dad for a while,” Brent suggested. “I mean, I’m sure they’d love to have you, and it’s not like you can afford a place of your own just yet, right?”

I felt like such a failure, and even though my brother’s words hurt, I realized that he might have a point. I couldn’t afford a place of my own just yet and my dream of moving in with Jared had just fallen to the wayside. Obviously, Brent didn’t want his little sister living on his couch indefinitely.

I hadn’t even though about how my presence here was disrupting his life. Maybe my only option left was going back home. The very thought depressed the hell out of me.

“I’ve got to get ready for work,” I said, getting up and heading towards the bathroom.

When I came back out, Brent was sprawled across the sofa eating a bag of potato chips for breakfast. Feeling slightly nauseous, I left for work in a haze of sadness. The moment I arrived, Marta looked at me sympathetically, and I wanted to scream.

“Hi,” she said, as I sat down.

“Hi,” I replied back, without making any eye contact.

“How are you?” she asked.

“As well as can be expected after finding out that the love of your life was a drug dealer and managed to keep it hidden from you for months and months,” I replied, without any feeling.

“Is there anything I can say that will make it better?” Marta asked kindly.

I sighed. “You can tell me that this is all a big mistake and Jared is completely innocent?” I said desperately and without any real hope.

“Oh, you never know,” she said.

I frowned. “I was only kidding, Marta,” I said. “What are the chances that he’s innocent?”

“You tell me,” she said. “You’re the one who spent months and months with him, after all.”

“I obviously am not a good judge of character,” I said.

“What makes you say that?”

“The fact that… Well... I’m from a small town, and I always used to swallow the lies my brother told me as a kid.”

Marta smiled. “Oh, honey, we all believed things when we were kids. I believed in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny when I was seven. That doesn’t mean I’m still that gullible.”

“You don’t get it,” I sighed. “I didn’t just buy Brent’s lies when we were kids. I believed him well into my teens. I believed all my ex-boyfriends when they told me they loved me. I believe people—whether or not they deserve to be believed.”

She shook her head at me. “You can’t paint everyone with the same brush, honey,” she said. “Does Jared seem like the kind of guy to do what he’s being accused of?”

“No, of course not,” I said. “He’s a firefighter, but that doesn’t mean anything, Marta. Professor John Gilbert was the best teacher in my entire college. He was a tenured professor who had the respect and admiration of the student body and faculty alike. I believed in him and his stellar reputation. I made excuses for him, even after he stuck his tongue down my throat.”

I stopped short, feeling a little drained and when I looked back up, Marta was looking at me with that sympathetic look again.

“Is that why out dropped out?” she asked quietly.

“Yes.” I nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

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