"No." She softly smiles. "Dean, I love you. I'm not giving up on us. You're going through a really hard time right now. I know you didn't mean to treat me that way."
"That's not an excuse. I can't keep pushing you away like that. I panicked and thought it'd be better if you left. I thought if I couldn't give you what you needed, what you deserved, then I had to force you to leave."
"You can't do that, Dean. You can't make those decisions for me. If we want this to work—"
"I know. Believe me, I've thought about this nonstop since you left." My eyes lift to hers. "I need help, Brook. I need to see someone. A counselor, therapist, whatever. I need to fix myself so I can be better for you. And so I don't hurt you." I look down. "I'm so afraid I'll hurt you."
"I don't want that either but if it happens, we'll deal with it. Chad hurt me a lot more than you ever did and I survived."
"I'm not just talking about hurting you emotionally."
"Dean, you'd never hurt me," she says like the very thought of that is ridiculous. "You act all tough but you'd never hurt anyone, especially me."
"I might," I mutter.
"No, you wouldn't. Why would you even say that?"
"Because I'm his son. I look just like him, and I have a temper like him."
"Like your dad? Dean, you're nothing like him."
"I am." I glance away. "I've lost my temper before. Almost killed a guy."
"What are you talking about?"
"At a party. I was drinking. I got in a fight and it got out of control. Danny stopped me but if he hadn't..."
"What? You don't think you would've stopped?"
"I don't know. I really don't."
"Was that the only time?"
"No." I blow out a breath. "Sometimes I get so angry I feel like I can't stop. Like I'm losing control. I'm better than I was a few years ago but sometimes I still feel that way."
"Have you ever felt that way with me?"
"No, and I don't understand why. I've gotten angry with you but there's something about you that calms me down. I don't even get close to the point of losing control. It's different with Jake. When I lose it with him, I have to get out of there. I can't even be around him."
"You really think you'd hurt him?"
"I don't know. I don't trust myself enough to stick around and find out." I gaze down at Brook's tiny hand in mine. "I don't trust myself with you either. Or anyone. It's why I refused to have a girlfriend. Why I'll never have a wife, or a family."
"Dean." She waits until I look at her. "You would never hurt anyone, especially someone you cared about. You would do anything to protect them."
I nod. "I would."
"That should prove to you you're not your father. He almost killed you. His own son. You would never do that. I know you wouldn't."
"I haven't been able to convince myself of that."
"Then I'll help you. We'll do this together."
"But you're leaving. Aren't you going back to Haverhill?"
She smiles. "Would I wear this shirt if I was leaving?"
"I thought you wore it because of the game."
