Page 29 of A Love So Sweet
“I know. That’s why I want you to hear this sooner rather than later.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “What led up to him grabbing me was that he asked me to try a sex toy with him.”
She looked away, and Treat’s heart tore.
“It’s okay, sweetness. I’m not going to judge you.”
“I was young,” she said in a shaky voice, “and I had the guy everyone wanted, so I thought…” She shrugged. “It can’t be that bad. Okay, I’ll try.”
He didn’t want to hear what that lowlife had done to her, but he wanted Max to heal from all the hurts that plagued her, so he clenched his jaw and gave her his full attention.
She closed her eyes and spoke in a flat, even tone. “We were in the bedroom, and he had undressed me, but he still had his pants on.”
Treat felt her trembling. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to, Max.”
“I want to.” She opened her eyes and looked into his. “He usedit, and at first it wasn’t bad. He was being gentle. And then I don’t know what happened. His eyes changed, almost like he became a different person.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, shredding his heart to pieces. He wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb, struggling to keep his anger in check.
Max continued speaking, this time with an icy tone. “He was suddenly shoving it into me so hard and saying horrible, nasty things. Cursing at me, calling me names, and somehow…somehowI was able to crawl away from him and grab my clothes. I ran for the door, and that’s when he grabbed my arm.” Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Shh. It’s okay,” he said, holding her tighter. “You don’t have to go any further. I get it, sweetheart.” He rubbed her back, silently vowing to track the guy down and rip him to shreds.
“I want you to know everything.” She wiped her eyes. “He drank a lot of beer and passed out in the bedroom. I remember crying so hard, and later that night, my mom called. I didn’t even have to say anything. Icouldn’tsay anything. She must have known from my sobs that something horrific had happened. That was the one and only time she ever gave me relationship advice, and it changed my life. She said, ‘Get out.’”
Thank goodness.“So you left?”
She swiped at her tears, but they continued to fall. “I did. I packed my car and drove all the way to Colorado and I never looked back. But, honestly, I think I still hold a grudge against him for the fear and insecurities he sparked in me.”
“That’s understandable,” he reassured her. “He should be punished for what he did. Did you report him to the police?”
“No, and, Treat, please don’t. I didn’t tell you so you could take vengeance for me. I told you because I want to try to move past this with you. I can’t do that if you get tied up in some sort of vengeful mission.”
His entire body pulsed with rage, but more important than the urge to hammer the life out of the guy was the desire—the visceralneed—to help Max heal. He pulled her close again, speaking through gritted teeth, and said, “I won’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to with every fiber of my being.”
He held her while she cried, remembering the way Max had reached for him the first night they were together. He now understood how much courage it must have taken for her to even try to open up to him in such an intimate way. It was easy to see how the look he’d given her in Nassau would translate in her mind as a precursor to hidden aggression, and that clarity nearly shattered him.
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Chapter Thirteen
ON THE DRIVE back to her apartment, Max gazed out the window into the darkness, clutching Treat’s hand and feeling like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She wasn’t rid of her ghosts, because she had no doubt that she still harbored a grudge, but at least now Treat knew the truth. Even though it was late and they were both tired, they’d gotten so close she didn’t want their night to end. She wanted to be in his safe, loving arms.
When they arrived at her apartment she could see by the set of his jaw and the fierceness of his eyes that he was still stewing over her confession.
As he unlocked her apartment door, she grasped for something to break the tension and said, “Thank you for sharing Hope with me.” He nodded absently, and she knew he was still mired in darkness. “I shouldn’t have told you what happened. I’m sorry.”
He pulled her into his arms, embracing her so tightly it was hard to breathe. “That’s not it, baby. I just want to be with you. I don’t want to leave you tonight.”
“Then don’t.”
Hope and worry brimmed in his eyes just like the nervousness whipping around inside her, but she had to follow her heart.
She took his hand and led him inside, walking toward the bedroom. “Stay with me.”
He drew her into his arms again. His lips were warm and loving on hers, and she drank in the sweetness of his kiss.
“I didn’t say that so we could fool around,” he said tenderly. “I just want to be with you, to hold you and know that you’re okay after reliving those memories. I can wait as long as you need to before doing anything more than kissing you.”
“I know, but maybe I can’t,” she said honestly. “I trust you, Treat. That’s why I felt safe telling you my secret.”
