“Dad and I were fighting when he had his heart attack,” I said, getting right to the meat of things.
I could feel her stare on the side of my head, but I kept my gaze locked forward, unwilling to chance what I’d see in her expression.
“It happened during my senior year of high school,” I continued. “I received a partial scholarship offer for basketball at a university I’d applied for, but Dad was having none of it. He wouldn’t stop ranting about the cost of tuition, demanding I look into a trade school or at least get my associates at a community college.”
I snapped my mouth closed and focused on putting one foot in front of the other, as the truth of what I’d done weighed on her scales of judgment.
“What did you want to major in?” she asked finally.
I gaped at the woman. “That’s your question?”
“I don’t know what else to say. That’s… It’s messed up. It’s not your fault, which I’m sure you understand. But now I get why you left and rarely come home. Why you seem to hate it here.”
“Dad was only trying to protect me from myself. I was a shitty high school student who wouldn’t have lasted in college, and he knew it. He didn’t want me to start my adult life in debt for absolutely no reason. But I was a stupid fucking kid; I only wanted to keep playing ball.”
We were at her building. She stopped and spun to face me. “You were eighteen. My eighteen-year-old brother stole Fent to sell, getting us almost killed by a guy I once dated. We all make mistakes. So, take off the fucking cape, because nobody expects you to be perfect.”
I was floored. “Um… okay?”
She huffed out a breath. “I’m sorry. It’s been a wild past few weeks. I just need you to keep showing up. Please.”
The desperation in her voice drew me in, and I could no longer keep my hands off her. Careful of her injured shoulder, I wrapped her in a hug. Mercy’s good arm flung around me, slipping beneath my open coat to cling to me like no one ever had. I rubbed her back and held her close. Nothing had ever felt more right in my life than having her pressed against me like this.
Except being inside her.
My cock liked that thought a little too much. Dick wasn’t what she needed right now, but I had to fight to stay focused on what she said. I knew I wasn’t perfect. But maybe I could be good enough for Mercy.
“Ben isn’t a bad kid,” I admitted. We’d spent some time together at the club, and the guy surprised me. “He tried to rescue you, you know?”
She huffed out an irritated breath, but her arm was still wrapped around me, her body pressing into mine. “He sure did.”
“He could have come up with a better plan, but he didn’t have many options. After all you’ve told me, that seems to be the story of his life.”
“He wants to join the Army.”
“I know you don’t support the idea, but would it be such a bad option?”
Against my chest, her head dropped in defeat. “No. It really wouldn’t.”
“Holy shit. Did you just admit you were wrong twice in one day?”
She pulled away from me, and I immediately regretted the joke. “Always such an asshole.” Her glare was sharp enough to cut, but the heat in her eyes said she didn’t mind my assholery one bit.
I only shrugged, grinning. “You wouldn’t want me any other way, babe.”
“You assume I want you now.”
I accepted the challenge in her eyes but said nothing.
A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before she turned, unlocked the door, and entered, then paused to rake her gaze over me. I must have passed her inspection, because she popped a hip out and said, “You coming?”
“I sure the fuck hope so.”
It had been days since she’d been in my arms, and I was jonesing.
“Ben might be home,” she said as we hurried to her apartment.
“Nope. He’s at the club. He’s staying there tonight.”
