“I did enjoy tonight.”
“The offer is always there. And you’re welcome to come visit Truffles anytime, no strings attached.”
She wetted her lips. Questions ran through her eyes, but she didn’t voice them. “Will you call me this weekend with another update on her, please?”
“I will,” he promised.
The questions didn’t go away, only burned darker in her gaze. “What would your father say if he knew I was here?”
And…she’d asked.
The elephant in the room was out.
He chose his words carefully. If he answered too quickly, or hesitated too long, she’d think his answer insincere. “My father and I have come to terms with our differences over the years. He knows he can’t control my life.”
“Did you know he came to my dorm that night after you left?”
His eyes widened. “I thought he went straight home.”
She shook her head. “He let me know, in no uncertain terms, that his son was too good for the likes of me.”
The weight of it all crashed down on him, and he leaned against the hood of her car. His father had taken a bad situation and made it worse. When Alexis had guessed the reason he’d broken it off, he’d felt like scum. He’d never fully forgiven himself, wished he’d lied better.
But now…
He ran a hand over his hair. Had he known what his father had done, he would have fought back. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”
“You really didn’t know.” She turned, propping a hip against the car.
“No.” He locked eyes with her, gazing at her intently, praying she’d saw the truth. “I would have stopped him, had I known. I promise.”
“How would you have done that?” she asked without condemnation. “Your father does what he wants.”
He clenched his jaw. Did he tell her the entire story? He hadn’t wanted to, not yet. Wished more time had elapsed to build a stronger foundation with her. But the window had opened.
What do I do, Lord? Help me here.
The truth will set you free.
“Trey?” She stared at him, waiting for an answer, or for him to say anything.
He must have been silent longer than he’d realized. “I would have told you the truth.”
“The truth?” Her beautiful, soulful, brown eyes beckoned him.
His hand raised on its own accord, reaching tenderly to touch her cheek. Drawn like a moth to a flame, he brushed his thumb against her skin. She didn’t pull away, and he let his hand rest against her in the lightest of touches. “That he was all wrong. That you’re too good for me, not the other way around. That I’ve always been jealous of how effortlessly you fit in your own skin and are so comfortable with who you are. That I’m an idiot and never should have taken matters into my own hands.”
She pulled away abruptly, the moment broken. He’d said too much. Suspicion lined her face. “What matters?”
He dropped his hand to his side.The truth shall set you free. The verse echoed in his mind. “It’s complicated and hard, but I’ll tell you if that’s what you want.”
Her stare never wavered. “Tell me.”
“Can we go inside? I’ll make a pot of decaf and we’ll talk.”
She eyed him warily, then relented. “Who needs sleep.”
They walked back into the house, side by side. He fought the urge to press a hand against the small of her back, but he’d already taken more liberties than he’d deserved. She stood across the counter, eerily quiet as the coffee brewed.
