I stared at it for a beat longer than necessary before answering.“Yes?”
“I’m on your porch,” he said.“Open the door.”
My heart thundered as I crossed the room.I turned the lock and opened the door.
He stood beneath the porch light, tie gone, collar undone, jacket rumpled like he’d dragged his hands through his hair one too many times.But it was his eyes that caught me.
Dark.Unguarded.Wrecked.
I stared at him.
“Invite me inside.”
And before I could think better of it, I stepped back—and let him in.
Chapter 20
Icrossed my arms overmy chest, my pulse hammering beneath my skin.
“What do you want, Creed?”
He stepped forward, then stopped himself, like he was forcing restraint where instinct wanted movement.His throat worked as he swallowed.
“To tell you the truth,” he said quietly.
My chest tightened.“About what?”
“About why I left.”His voice roughened.“And why I’m here.”
I let out a slow breath.“You don’t get points for honesty after the fact.”
“I know.”His jaw flexed.“That’s not why I came.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, pacing once before facing me again.The edge in his voice wasn’t anger.It was exposure.
“I’ve never been good at needing anyone,” he said.“Because the moment you do, you hand them the power to break you.And I learned early how to survive that.”
