“I can make tea,” she pointed out.
“I know, and after tonight, I’m convinced that you can do anything.”
Millie laughed, shaking her head. “I don’t know about that.”
The kettle took a while to boil, but soon enough, Jace joined her on the couch again, this time with two cups of hot tea.
“So what are all these things you want to tell me?” he asked.
Millie wasn’t sure where to begin. “I guess I want to say thank you.”
Jace looked confused. “For what?”
“Everything you’ve done for me.” Millie took a sip of her tea. “You were asked to be my doctor, but you chose to be my friend. I never knew how much I needed that until you came along.”
“It was impossible not to want to be your friend.”
“I doubt that. Befriending the mute girl who doesn’t leave her house doesn’t sound like something any sane person would want to do.”
Before the attack, Millie had lots of friends, but afterward, they all disappeared. She had always thought it was her fault that they didn’t want to be friends with her anymore. She was broken, and nobody wanted to play with something that was broken. During all that time, she only had Blade, Dakota, and Margaret.
Jace frowned as he put his cup on the coffee table and turned toward her. He held out his hand. “I like to believe that I’m sane,” he stated, dead serious. “And I’m honored to be your friend.”
Millie eyed his hand. “I don’t think friends hold hands at our age anymore.”
Jace smiled and reached out, taking her hand in his. A shiver ran up her arm as a flutter of butterflies was released in her stomach. She had never felt anything quite like it before.
“I like being your friend,” Jace stated. “But I’d like to be more than your friend if that is okay with you.”
Millie wasn’t sure what to say or do. She had dreamed about this moment but thought it was impossible. Maybe Dr. Masterson hadn’t told Jace the details of what had happened to her.
“Oh, I don’t think you want that,” Millie breathed, hating how the words tasted on her tongue.
“Of course I do,” Jace argued. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m broken,” Millie replied, looking away.
“Everybody’s a little broken,” Jace pointed out. “It’s part of being human.”
Millie shook her head. “I’m not a little broken, Jace. I was smashed into a million pieces, and I’m still trying to put them back together.”
Jace tightened his grip on her hand. “Let me help.”
“You shouldn’t have to do that. You should be with somebody who can give you all the things you want and deserve. That isn’t me.”
Jace let out a deep breath. “Look,” he said. “If you don’t want to be with me, I’ll respect that. We can still be friends or even just doctor and patient. Whatever you want. But if you want to be with me, please don’t push me away because you think I can’t handle your past.”
His words stunned her. Jace was usually so comical, but he was dead serious.
“I do want to be with you,” she admitted. “But I feel like you have the right to know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Dr. Masterson told me what happened.”
“I’ve never spoken to anybody about it, but if we are going to be together, I need you to hear it from me.”
“Millie, you don’t have to. I know enough.”
She shook her head. “I want to. Everything that Dr. Masterson knows came from my brother, and even he doesn’t know the full extent of it.” She took another sip of her tea. Jace was right. Her throat was starting to burn from all the talking.
