Page 31 of Hot Shot
“I did too. And yet, neither of us fought for those commitments. We let them go.”
“I shoved them to the back of my mind. Tried to not think about them or you. I couldn’t. It hurt too much to do it and I was already battling heartache every day.”
“You’re still battling it. I know me telling you to stop won’t make it happen but stop beating yourself up about the way things ended between us. I’m letting it go. You need to do the same.”
“I repeat, you’re amazing. I don’t deserve your loyalty or friendship, but I’ll spend the rest of my life earning it if you’ll let me.”
“You don’t have to earn it, I’m freely giving it.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
I do. It’s why I want her here, why I want to share all my skeletons even if they hurt her. Because this time I’ll be there to support her, to guide her through the pain I unwillingly inflict with the secret I need to tell her.
“What are we cooking for dinner?”
Her change of subject gives me a reprieve. A few more hours, days if I’m lucky, where I can hold the final piece of the past I need to share with her. “Want to go out?”
“Leave here?” She points to the ground at her feet.
“Yes.”
“You mean go somewhere else? Leave the property?”
I grin. “Yes, smart ass, leave the property.”
“Okay. What does this little town have to offer?”
“Not so little.”
“Not big either.”
“No, but there are plenty of choices. Pizza, seafood, Italian, burgers, there’s a number of bar and grills if you want a steak.”
“How are we getting there? I didn’t see a car in the driveway.”
“It’s in the garage.”
“Hiding like its owner?”
“No. It’s not mine. Gannon keeps it here for tooling around in.”
“All right, we have transport, now what do we want to have? Or should wetool aroundand see what takes our fancy?”
“Have you been to Parry Sound before?”
“No. And Walker barely slowed down on the drive through town so I didn’t get a good look around. If you’re up to showing me, I’d love to see where you’ve been spending your time.”
“You’ve seen where I’ve spent my time. The grocery store delivers. I have hardly left the property, except to hike since I got here two years ago.”
“You… I… What the hell, Bran!”
“You said I was hiding, and I guess I was.” The thought doesn’t sit well. I know I put myself here, kept away from my old life, old friends, but until right now I hadn’t realized exactly how true Blake’s words were. “I need to get my life back,” I mutter as I reach for Blake’s hand and tug her behind me as I head through the house.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To find my life. To find me.”
