Page 121 of Make Me Trust Again
I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, he’s already turning around. His hand holds onto mine as we make our way to the shore, only letting go once he bends down to grab our clothes.
“Chase…”
He turns to me, my dress in his hands. “Arms.”
I lift my arms on autopilot, letting him slide the dress on. Not an easy thing since my underwear and skin are still wet from the lake.
He takes a step back, but I wrap my fingers around his forearm. “Don’t do this.” I shake my head. “Don’t pull away from me now.”
“Rose…”
The pain, the anguish, hidden behind that one word, knocks all the air out of my lungs.
“Did I do something wrong? I just?—”
“No, God, no.” He mutters a curse under his breath, the words stifled as he runs his free hand over his face. “We shouldn’t have done this. You’re vulnerable and?—”
“And nothing!” I protest before he can finish. I know where he’s going with this, and I’m having none of it. “Don’t be like them. All my life, I’ve been told what to do, what was best for me. By my parents. By this town. Byhim.But I’m not some little girl,Chase. I knew what we were doing. I knew what I wanted. Who I want.You.”
“You shouldn’t want me.” He shakes his head. “I’m not a good man, Rose.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re a good man. Hell, you’re a better man. You opened your home to me even though you didn’t want to. You’re kind to my little boy. You took care of him, you took care of me. You see me, Chase. You see all parts of me. And maybe it’s crazy and selfish, I don’t care. The last few years have broken me,hebroke me, and I never thought I’d be able to do this again. But being with you these past few weeks…” I graze my teeth over my lower lip, feeling the nerves tingling under my skin. My insecurities and fears. “You make me feel, Chase Williams. You make me want to trust again. Trust that there is something better. And trust doesn’t come easily to me.”
“Fucking hell,sweetheart,” he mutters, his voice raw.
For a moment, I’m worried he’ll leave, but he does the complete opposite. His fingers intertwine with mine, and he pulls me to him, his free hand cradling my face as his lips brush against the top of my head.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
Lifting to the tips of my toes, I press my mouth against his in a gentle kiss. “You didn’t hurt me, Chase.”
Chase swallows audibly. “I’m not really good at any of this.”
“I’m not really good at it either, but we can just… take it slow? But don’t run away or tune me out. One step at a time.”
“One step at a time,” Chase repeats as if he’s testing the words.
“Yeah.” I squeeze his fingers. “One step at a time.”
Chase brushes his finger over my cheek. “I don’t deserve you.”
I jab him in the chest playfully. “Well, it’s a good thing that I’m the one who decides that, isn’t it?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHASE
The excruciating pain is slicing through my body, but I force myself to push up. My muscles burn, sweat dripping down my face. I grind my teeth as I look up. My breathing is ragged, shallow breaths making my lungs burn as I take in the scattered bodies around me.
The truck is a few feet away, lying upside down, but where one side of the vehicle is supposed to be, there is only a hole left.
Icy dread spreads through my veins as all the little pieces start falling into place.
Driving.
The mission.
The explosion.
