Page 42 of Off-Limits Love
Zoey held up her left hand and nodded, smiling. “I am. Now,” she corrected. “But for a long time, I didn’t believe in love, and I built walls to protect myself from all the awful things I’d heard over the years. Until Logan called me on it. My husband pulled the ultimate BS card whenever I tried to sidestep the subject.”
“But how did he convince you?”
“How does anyone? He showed me. And he continues to show me every day.” Zoey shook her head softly, eyes sparkling with a hint of tears she didn’t shed. “Mak, people like your ex make us—allof us—afraid of love. But the truth is, we’re empty shells without it. I now believe we’re never truly whole until we know that kind of love, as elusive as it is to find.”
She hadn’t known that love. Not with Brad. In the beginning she’d believed he loved her as much as she loved him, but like Zoey said—the mask had fallen away after a while and she now knew the truth because she’d lived it.
But Zoey’s words left an image of Finn flittering through her mind, and even though she’d only just met the man, she couldn’t help but think of his innate kindness.
Yet another part of her knew Finn had the same type of walls around him as Zoey described. Because of the stutter? Because of losing his parents so young?
And then to kiss her. Where did that fit into the equation?
“Mmm. Where’d you go just then?” Zoey asked.
Mak blinked and then laughed uncomfortably. “Nowhere.”
“Nowhere made you smile after some tough conversation. Was it a person?”
Hesitant, Mak bit her lower lip and nodded. “It— He is. But just a friend.”
“Friends are nice to have,” Zoey said. “Are you interested in him as more than a friend?”
She shrugged, trying to appear casual and failing miserably. “I haven’t allowed myself to think like that.”
“Because of fear.”
“Of course.”
“And now? After our talk?” Zoey tilted her head.
Mak waved her hand to indicate herself and the office and all the things. “It’s helped, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not terrified of making another mistake.”
“You’re human, Makayla. You’re going to make mistakes. The good—and bad—news is that once someone has survived and seen the worst of narcissistic abuse, they don’t forget it. And you have been gifted a lifelong, hard-earned red-flag warning sensor like no other. Has your friend set off any alarms?”
“No,” she said honestly. “Not yet.”
Zoey smiled. “That’s good. So why not embrace him as a nice guy and monitor those sensors, but don’t shut down because of fear. You deserve to have a good guy in your life, and they are out there. Though for Emi’s sake, I wouldn’t introduce them any time soon.”
Mak winced. “They’ve already met. He’s—kind of our neighbor.”
When they’d had their first appointment, Zoey had asked about Mak and Emi’s living situation. Though she didn’t know Sam, Zoey knew where they lived because she knew of Blackwell Farm like most locals apparently.
Zoey’s eyebrows lifted, and a knowing smile quirked her lips.
“I see. May I ask his name?”
“Um, it’s Finn. Blackwell. Do you know him?”
The counselor’s expression softened slightly. “I do, yes. I went to school with several of the Blackwells, and the entire island came together for the memorial when their parents were killed. My husband knows Alec and the brothers quite well. They’re all known to be good men. Not perfect,” she quickly clarified, “but good.”
Mak wasn’t sure why the words meant so much to her, but they did. That was the impression she’d gotten at the birthday party as well. That the family of nine—eight brothers and their younger sister—were all good people. Living their lives, working hard and helping their community when and where they could. Maybe that meant her red-flag meter was working?
“Do you have any plans to see him?”
Mak shook her head, her cheeks heating up at the question. “No. I mean, nothing official.”
“Official?” Zoey pressed.
