Page 58 of Beyond Repair: Part One

I am, and I don't ever want to stop. Nina's head snaps back and her twinkling laughter moves through the glass door. Admiration hits me like a brick in the chest. This woman is the epitome of strength and perseverance.

"She's smiling, laughing. We need to join her and encourage her, Trev. Take a while to center yourself again." Kai places a hand on my shoulder. "The scars will always be there, but they're a sign of the past. That," he gestures to Nina, "is our future. Don't let the trauma blind you, brother."

With those parting words, Kai leaves me to keep watch over the woman who has our hearts.No, not watch over.

Nina's safe, happy, healthy—even if she should still be eating more—maybe it's time to reframe the narrative.

Relaxing my stance and shaking out my shoulders, I imagine my worries fading until they’re tucked away under logic. I can see with my own two eyes that Nina is alive, and each day she's closer and closer tothriving.

We may not have gone further in our relationship since last week's slumber party at our house, but it feels like it doesn't really matter. Rushing this is not what any of us need. If I'm being honest, I need to go slow with her.

There's so much fear banging away in my chest and mind that I need to sort out first. Maybe this conversation with Kai was the wake up call I needed. Nina has so many scars and so do we. They're different, but Nina's working so damn hard not to let hers ruin the rest of her life. I shouldn't either.

So, taking a page out of Nina's book, my lips curve into a smile.

"If you get nervous at any point, squeeze my hand or tell me so, okay?" Fuck,I'mnervous. Damn Ridge and his idea of taking Nina out on a date.

It's just coffee, he said, but we all insisted that the first date should be with all of us and I admit I'm still feeling slightly anxious even after my talk with Kai yesterday.

Nibbling on the inside of her cheek, Nina looks around, then peers up at me. "Okay," she whispers, her voice cracking slightly.

"I'm about to fall over if I don't have any caffeine!" Ridge shouts, breezing by us and giving Nina a little slap on the ass.

"Ridge!" she squeals and tries to run after him with the cutest little scowl on her face, but my grip on her hand is firm.

I tsk and tug her back. "No running in the parking lot, baby girl."

Deflating slightly, Nina hangs back with me while Kai chases after Ridge, shouting about defending his woman. She rubs her ass cheek and scowls at the two idiots. "He's always doing that."

Henry snorts, coming up on her other side after locking the SUV. "I'd guess Ridge enjoys the reaction he gets from you, pretty girl."

She turns thoughtful, but as we come up to the cafe door, I draw her attention back to me. "Nina, what are you going to do if you feel uncomfortable or want to leave?"

"Squeeze your hand if I can't say anything." She blinks up at me with a little smile that makes my heart soar. Ridge helped her get out of her head and I'm giving her a safe place to land.

I can't fucking control myself when she yields to my dominant side so beautifully. Without further thought, I bend and press my lips to hers. They part on a gasp that draws me in like a moth to a flame. My hand that’s not holding hers dives into her wavy hair and I yank her into my body.

"Alright, alright..." Henry mutters, breaking the spell Nina put me under. "Easy man. How 'bout we eat her athome, not outside the coffee shop?"

Releasing my woman is harder than it should be, so I don't. Instead, I pepper her cheeks and jaw with kisses until I've calmed down enough. Except, when I pull back, her eyes are blown wide, and she's panting.

"Goddamn."

Groaning at the sound of Ridge's voice, I pull back. "Way to ruin the moment."

"Pretty sure that's exactly what you needed considering you're in the middle of a sidewalk on a Sunday morning," my cousin retorts and opens the door.

Nina shivers and I refuse to believe it's the whoosh of air-conditioning filtering out of the building. Instead, I choose to think it's the final kiss I give her before tugging her inside.

"Alright, flora," Kai claps, basically skipping over to the display case of pastries. "Cheese danish?"

"Oh my god!" a teenage looking boy gasps, stumbling toward us like his excitement throws him off balance. Nina stiffens beside me and takes a step back as the kid zeros in on her.

Kai steps in, placing himself between us and the unwanted attention. "Hey man, back off."

He doesn't evenlookat Kai, only Nina who has begun to shake. "You're that girl that escaped Mr. M, aren't you?!"

The teen's volume is low, but Neen hears every word. Like the stunted asshat he is, the boy doesn't read the room. "Holy shit, dude. I'm likeobsessedwith all of his cases. I can't believe they still haven't caught him. I saw the few news stories on you, but it's like everything went silent. Did you go into WISTEC or something?! That would be SO cool."

---