Page 92 of Feverburn

“Who sent you?”

“Rosie.”

“I wanted to tell you.”

“No, you didn’t,”he stated, oversimplifying things.

“I just didn’t—”

“You didn’t. That’s okay. I figured.”

“How did you know?”I asked.

“You’ve always wanted to be a dad. I figured having that opportunity taken from you would hurt. Nothing hurt you as much as Whitney, so…”he shrugged.“I figured it was something like that.”

“Yep. That sums it up.”My voice quivered with emotion, but I wasgratefulBear’s calming energy was trapping me, almost pulling me down to reality.

He put an arm around my shoulders, bringing me in close as he grunted in consideration, “I have one question for you, though.”

“Shoot.”

“Do youloveRosie?”

“Yes.”I turned to look at him in the darkness, feeling my lips pull to the side with too much emotion.“Yeah, Iloveher a lot. More than I did with Jamie. More than I did with Whitney. I loved the idea of Jamie, the whole hometown sweetheart sort of thing. It seemed like theperfectstory. But we were too young. I loved Whitney, but I could sense she didn’t have my back. Now I know why. But with Rosie, the girl would burn down the world for me. I would do the same for her.”

He chuckled,“And she doesn’t put up with yourbullshit. I like that about her. She isn’t afraid to challenge your grouchy ass.”

I smiled, wiping my face.“Exactly. She’s the one I want.”

“How long have you known?”

“There was a moment with her in June. I was drawing a picture of her, and this feeling washed over me. I knew it was something different. It felt like a moment I was supposed to experience like I was born to be in that glitch of time with her, a checkpoint for my soul. I was born toloveher. To fight for her.”

Bear hummed deep in thought, and I could hear the smile spreading on his lips.

I continued,“When I’m with her, I feel calm but anxious. I want time to freeze so I can memorize all the moments with her I can. But I also want it to speed past to see what’s next. I feel alive when I’m beside her. It’s a deeplovelike I was meant to find her.”

“And you did. Now what?”

“I might haveruinedthings with Harley again. And maybe I broke Rosie’s trust. But I have to believe I can fix this somehow. There is enoughlovethere. We can rebuild.”

He nodded and hummed once more in approval.“Yep. Rebuild.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

I didn’t think Kaylee would walk in on me havingsex…again.

In a coffee shop…again.

With a guy she knew but didn’t knowIknew that intimately…again.

I also never realized the man I loved was a ticking timebomb of shocking news. On some level, I think he wanted me to be angry at him. Maybe it would be easier to fight than to bevulnerable. But I wasn’t mad. We covered enough heavy stuff over the past couple of months. I was impressed heprotectedWhitney’sprivacy, even indeath.

In the aftermath, Kaylee and I stood silently, watching Harley pace the sidewalk in anguish.

Her icy eyes bore into mine. “What was the fucking point?” she spat.

“What do you mean?”

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