"I shouldn't have done?—"
"Don't." She pressed her fingers to his lips. "Please, don't push me away again. Don't tell me I'm better off with someoneelse." Tears filled her eyes. "Because I'm not. I don't want to be with anyone else. I want to be with you. I loveyou. There will never be anyone else for me."
Feeling like his heart was being ripped from his chest, he took another step back. "Besides feeling like integral parts of me are missing, I’m too messed up in the head right now for a relationship.” He motioned to the floor. "Whether you think so or not, I’m still a burden right now.” He pointed to the floor. “You could barely get me up."
A stubborn glint filled her eyes as she folded her arms. "But I did it."
He shoved one hand into his hair as he turned away, but she sidestepped and positioned herself in front of him again.
"Please, Damon." Her eyes were pleading now. "I know you have a lot that you're working through, but please don't shut me out." She must have seen the determination on his face, because she pressed on. "I know this is a difficult time for a relationship. I can't help you in the ways Emily can, but I'm here for you. There's nothing we can't work through together."
Could they really work through all his garbage? Could she help heal the broken parts inside him?
He recalled the way her touch pulled him from the flashback he experienced the day she drove him to his appointment. Then he thought about what Dr. Campbell said about himmaking the most of his second chance. He couldn't do that if he walked away from Grace. He almost chuckled as he remembered Joel telling him he shouldput a ring on it already. But it was Marisol's words that made him pause.
"Promise me you'll take care of my Gracie."
Damon may not be deserving of Grace at the moment, but he wanted to be. There wasn't another man on earth who would love her as much as he did. And because of that, he'd protect her, with his life if necessary.
I can't do that if I keep pushing her away.
Grace could see Damon vacillating.The determination in his eyes slowly faded, giving way to resolve, then replaced by something that looked like yearning.
Hope expanded her chest, and she held her breath as she sent a little prayer heavenward.
Please help him let me in.
He took her hand and squeezed it. "I do have a lot to work through, and I don't want to do it alone. Emily is helping me, but maybe you can too."
Fresh tears flooded her eyes as she nodded. "I'm here Damon. I'll help you anyway I can."
"I need... I need to take this slow, Grace. I still have a lot of healing to do that can’t be rushed."
She nodded, but he shook his head as though ridding it of an unpleasant thought before he continued. "There are...things we should talk about, but I’m not ready yet."
"That's okay. We have all the time in the world."
He gave her a small smile as he slowly nodded. Then he pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss. "I'd offer to help you fix dinner, but I think I need to sit down and ice my head." He gingerly touched the back of his head.
"Right. You should definitely ice that." Reluctantly, she stepped away from him to get an ice pack.
If it wasn't for the pain she saw in Damon's eyes when he said there were things they needed to talk about, she would have danced around the kitchen as she fixed dinner. As it was, she asked Siri to play some soft pop music and almost laughed out loud when the first three songs were love songs.
Damon held Lily on his lap while he held the ice pack of his head. They talked a little as she cooked, but mostly, he seemed content to just watch her.
Once they were seated across the table from each other, silence settled in the room and so did the tension. Was Damon thinking about the things he needed to work through like she was?
She didn’t want to talk about what happened to her as a teenager, but they couldn’t move forward and rebuild their relationship if she continued to keep secrets. Recalling the way Alan refused to have anything to do with her made her stomach knot so tight she lost her appetite.
Stop living in fear.
Her hands trembled so badly she dropped her fork. It clattered to her plate with a clank.
Damon jumped. His shoulders hunched, and a look of panic spread across his face as he scanned the room.
“It’s okay.” She put her hand on his. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” She jerked her hand back and balled her napkin in her fist. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve told very few people.”
His expression slowly relaxed. “What is it?”
