Page 49 of Quiet
“Deserve it?” Briar growled and took a step away from the door. Isa backed up, and Briar stopped like he’d hit a wall. “You don’t—” Briar rubbed his head furiously, and his gaze drifted away.
Briar was so upset, and it was making Isa’s heart squeeze. What could he do to help? If merely mentioning his family made Briar this upset, there was no way Isa was letting them near him. He’d made the right decision. His heart squeezed again, this time hard enough to take Isa’s breath away.
“Would it be easier if I left? I can go. I know this is hard for you. I don’t want to make it worse.”
“Hard for me?” Briar sounded like he was forcing each word out. Tearing each and every one from his throat. “You’re worried . . . about me?”
“Of course, I am. This is my mess to deal with, and you shouldn’t have to deal with any of it.”
Briar was tenderhearted. He had a gruff exterior, but Isa had discovered his softness during their time together. It was going to be impossible to forget him. But he had to.
“Isa . . . why are you . . . so bad at understanding me . . . when it’s important?”
“What do you mean?”
Briar was still blocking the door. Isa wasn’t going to be able to leave until he helped Briar calm down. He wasn’t sure he could get himself to leave even if Briar wasn’t guarding the door, but Isa would be willing to try if it helped.
“I don’t want you to go.” Briar’s words were coming a little easier now, but still much slower than Isa had gotten used to. “You can’t leave.”
There was a shimmer in Isa’s mind. With it came a sense of clarity. Briar didn’t want him to leave, but not because he wanted to give Isa a piece of his mind. Briar didn’t want Isa to leavehim.Not his house, not the state, and definitely not back to Isa’s family. Not ever.
Isa was stunned. “Why?”
Briar strode forward and took Isa by the arms. “For the same reason I can’t leave you alone.”
I love you.
It wasn’t a spoken sound. It was a punch to the chest.
“You love . . . me?”
Briar’s eyes blazed. “I think I do. If this is what love feels like. Wanting you safe. Happy. Here.” Briar’s hands tightened on Isa’s arms. “Always here. Never hurt. Never scared.”
Isa’s eyes filled with tears, and they stung as he blinked to keep them from escaping. “I-I . . .” This was even worse than Briar hating him. Isa wanted this so badly. Briar’s happy life, Briar’s happy home, Briar’s arms around him keeping him safe and warm. It was everything Isa could have dreamed of.
But it would only be an illusion. Eventually, Isa’s family would come.
“It’s not safe for you, Briar. They’ll hurt you.” Isa tried to wipe his eyes, but Briar had his arms trapped, and he couldn’t reach his face. “I can’t have that.”
Briar searched Isa’s face somberly. “And you think I can have them hurting you?”
Isa tried to look away, but he was caught in the forest-like depths of Briar’s eyes.
“Even if you don’t want . . . me. You can’t go back. Stay here. Where it’s safe.”
The ache of longing in Isa’s chest burned. He didn’t want Briar to think he didn’t want him that he didn’t lo—. Isa choked and backpedaled his thoughts. But he couldn’t give Briar what he wanted. Isa’s mind flashed to the battered body of his uncle.
No. That could never be Briar.
“I can’t stay here Briar. I have to go home.”
The look of hurt on Briar’s face nearly destroyed Isa. But he couldn’t fold. Not when the stakes were so high.
“Just for tonight. At least stay here tonight.” Briar was openly pleading, and Isa couldn’t refuse. He’d abused his own heart more than it could take today.
“Okay. I’ll stay the night.”
Briar let out a sigh of relief and released Isa’s arms. There was still a trace of hurt on his face, but he seemed relieved to have won at least one small battle. “Let me show you your room.”
