AFTER WE DRYAlisha’s hair and tuck her in bed, I watch Galen hook a drip up to her arm with a heavy heart for all he’s had to endure. She looks so frail in the big bed, curled into a fetal position as she sleeps. A raspy wheezy noise rumbles from her chest that doesn’t sound good. Galen presses a kiss to the top of her head before we quietly slip out of her bedroom.
He leads me downstairs into the kitchen. “Hungry?” he asks, moving toward the refrigerator.
“Not especially,” I admit, because, honestly, the events of this morning have cost me my appetite. Not to mention I’m still quite full from the delicious late breakfast Theo prepared.
“Shoo, boy,” the kindly gray-haired woman says, rushing into the kitchen. I assume she’s the housekeeper he mentioned. She pulls on his elbow, and his head pops out of the refrigerator. “It’s a lovely day. Take your girlfriend out to the garden. I’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
“She’s not—”
“That sounds wonderful,” I say, cutting across Galen. “And I’m Harlow. Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m Mrs. Murphy, but you can call me Maureen.” She squeezes my hand. “And it’s lovely to meet you too, dear.”
Galen snatches my hand. “Come on.”
We walk hand in hand outside, and I swat my anxiety aside. If we’re going to confront the ghosts of our past, there is no better place to do this. “Can we talk in the maze?” I ask, and he slams to a halt, his eyes drilling into mine.
“Why would you want to go in there?”
“Seems fitting.” I hold his gaze confidently.
“Okay.” He grips my hand more firmly as we change direction, heading for the other side of the garden. “It’s overgrown now. I can’t afford to pay for a groundskeeper.”
“Didn’t your grandmother leave an inheritance?”
“My parents shot that in their veins.”
“I still think about the day of the party. The last time I was here with my parents,” I say, wanting to change the subject.
“Me too,” he admits, stopping at the entrance to the maze. “I wanted to kiss you so bad that day.”
I tug on his hand, moving forward, taking a step into our past. Tall, unkempt shrubs tower over us, on all sides, as we walk, blocking out much of the light. The temp is cooler in here and I shiver.
“Over here,” he says, walking to the worn wooden bench off to the side. He sweeps some leaves and debris off it before sitting down, pulling me in close to his side. His arm goes around me. “Steal some of my body warmth.” He shoots me a lopsided grin. “Is this okay?”
I turn my head to face him, smiling softly. “Yes.” I examine his eyes. “I want to know everything, Galen. No matter how painful it might be to hear, I want to leave here with all the facts.”
He tucks a few stray strands of hair behind my ears. “I promise I will hold nothing back.”
I nod, seeing the truth in his eyes. “I wanted to kiss you too,” I admit, deciding to showcase my vulnerability first so he knows I’m in this with him. “But I was so broken, Galen. It was only a few months after the kidnapping, and I couldn’t bear even the slightest touch. Mom couldn’t kiss me good night and Dad couldn’t hold my hand without me freaking out.” Pressure settles on my chest as I remember how scared I was in the aftermath of my ordeal.
“I didn’t know.”
“How would you? You were a kid too, and I didn’t say shit to anyone.”
“Your rejection hurt,” he admits. “Because you’d been the only bright spot that entire day.” He smiles as he looks around. “I can still hear your giggles as I chased you through here.”
I smile back at him, snuggling in closer to his side, siphoning some of his warmth as I look up at him. “That was the first time in ages I’d laughed like that, and I remember feeling happy.”
“Until I had to go and ruin it.” He shoots me another lopsided grin.
I roll my eyes. “Like a typical boy.”
“Is it egotistical if I say I’m glad I was the one to make you laugh?”
“No.” I nudge him playfully in the ribs. “Typical guy sentiment.” I waggle my brows, and his smile returns, lighting up his whole face.
I know I’ve teased Galen about being pretty, but it’s no word of a lie.
