Page 24 of Eat Your Heart Out
I tugged my shirt and bra to the side to show him a small portion of my scar. “Yeah. It goes to my belly button.”
He gently brushed it with his finger. “That must have been a horrible accident.”
My heart thundered, and I shut my eyes. I didn’t want to talk about the accident, but he would want answers. And I would run out of ways to avoid the conversation, so I took a breath and told him, “My car exploded.”
“I’m sorry.”
I scooted away. “You didn’t do it.”
He folded his hands in front of him. “I was trying to show empathy. Did I fail?”
Tears escaped the corners of my eyes. I swatted them away, and when I was positive I wouldn’t cry, I said, “No. I was being prickly. Why are you being so nice to me?”
“Because I like you.”
I jumped out of my seat and stepped back. “We barely know each other.”
He turned but didn’t follow me as he gazed up at me. “My instincts are usually right.”
I fixed my shirt and wished I’d never shown him any part of me, wished I wasn’t on the ship at all. “It seems like you have some hero complex, wanting to save me from my life.”
He narrowed his attention on me, and my skin buzzed. “I love my family, but I don’t go around rescuing just anyone.”
Adrenaline coursed through me. I hugged my waist and lifted my chin. “Look, we’re on the ship now, so what’s done is done. I thought about leaving, but now I can’t. Still, I need to make it clear I can’t have sex with you.”
The truth was I wasn’t even sure I could. With John, everything had gone downhill when he’d started complaining that he was living with me but had no benefits. The first year had been slightly better, but he’d told me he’d been waiting. Then he would tell me he was happy I was in his life, and I was never sure what he really felt.
My attention snapped back to Gerard at his simple declaration. “I don’t take what’s not freely given.”
My shoulders lowered, and my heart returned to a normal speed. Earlier, I’d brushed off the idea, but Gerard was getting into my heart. I returned to the seat beside him. “I’m being irrational right now. I came because I like being near you and the idea of being your companion sounded exciting, but I can’t be more than friends.”
He nodded. “That sounds fine. I’d like to be your friend and someone you can count on.”
I raised my eyebrow. I wasn’t sure that was possible. “That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
Perhaps my one-sided attraction to him was just that and my heart and soul were safe. My body was too broken to survive more disaster, not that I expected that from Gerard. I let out a sigh. “Good, because the truth is I like you too. And I’m not used to talking about myself. Mentioning the accident at all sent me into a tailspin.”
He brushed against my arm then scooted closer as he wrapped his arm around me. Heat rushed in me as he said, “Don’t worry about it. Want to get dressed for dinner?”
He let me go, and we both stood as I nodded.
“Sure. Is there a dress code?”
He winked as we headed to the stairs. “Surprise me.”
I rocked on my feet then swallowed. “Did you or your mom send all those clothes for me?”
He waved for me to join him, and we both headed downstairs.
“My mom and her shopping team added to whatever she had delivered to the house. They wanted you to be prepared for our world trip.”
So there was more. I sighed, unsure of how to accept the gift. His family and he were all great. “Tell her thank you.”
“Tell her yourself the next time we video chat.”
We reached the floor to my room, and I gazed at him. Friends were all we could be. I wasn’t sure I would ever be ready for more. “Okay. I’ll go get ready. Meet you in an hour.”
“Perfect,” he said.
The word described him as I backed into my room. I didn’t deserve him or any of his goodness, though I would take the trip and our friendship if that was all I could get. Being a friend was all I had to offer. Romance was never in the cards for me, and I didn’t dare hope for anything else.
