Page 55 of The Devil's Tattoo

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He forced me to turn around and look at him. The room was dark, but the muted light from the streetlight outside filtered in, and I could just make out the familiar features of his face. Tucking my hair behind my ear, he kissed my forehead, and I breathed in his familiar smell of leatherandmusk.

“He kissed me,” Iwhispered.

“That’s not a badthing,Zo.”

“He called me baby. It… When he said it, all these things came back. Memories.Myarm…”

“Did he hurtyourarm?”

“No. He didn’t hurt me. He didn’t. It was weird. It felt like that night.Thepain.”

“Shit, Zoe,” Dee cursed, pulling me against hischest.

“I panicked.I’msorry.”

“God,” he murmured into my hair. “I understand, Zo. I get it. After everything, Igetit.”

“I can’t just wake up one day and decide that I’m over it. You know I haven’t let anyone in. No one but you. It’snoteasy.”

“I know, Zoe.Iknow.”

“Ican’t.”

“Youcan. When you’re ready, and I thinkyouare.”

“I don’t want to get hurt again. I can’t. I can’t go through thatagain.”

“He’s not Jason,” Dee said. “He’s nothing like that prick. I was wrong about Will, Zo. He’s all right. He’s one of the good ones. That guy would go to hell and backforyou.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I was too afraid to believe. I just buried myself harder against my bestfriend.

“Remember when he almost beat up that guy for just talking to you? He wants you bad, and I think you should let him in. I mean, he’ll protect you from sleazy guys like me. That’s ten points right there. And he’s got nice shoes. I know how you are withshoes.”

I didn’t know where he heard about that night, but everything else he said was right. I was the only one who had a problemwithit.

“I know it’s hard, but you’ve gottafaceit.”

“Iknow.”

“I can only help you so much. The last bit you’ve gotta do onyourown.”

“Mmm,” Imurmured.

“Are you okay now?” I knew he meant the dream, so Inodded.

He went to let me go, but I grasped hold of himtighter. “Stay.”

He let out a small laugh and pulled the cover up over my shoulders. “The day I get a girlfriend, Zo, she’s going to be a jealouswreck.”

“I want to see her resumefirst.”

He ran a hand through my hair. “There’s the Zoe I know and love. Don’t let her get awayagain.”

The way he said it made it sound easy, but I knew the conversation I had to have with Will the next day was going to be one of the hardest things I ever hadtodo.

And I still didn’t know which way it was goingtogo.