My fingers wrapped around the glass. “Thank you.”
The simple gesture made my stomach flutter. A bad sign.
“You want to talk about it?” he asked, leaning back to relax into the sofa cushions.
I took a drink, letting the cold liquid trickle down my throat. I never really voiced my screwed-up family dynamic to anyone. Didn’t trust anyone enough not to air out all of our dirty laundry. But the way his eyes hadn’t left my face, and the fact hestayed,had me dropping my guard.
“Growing up, we did fine. Me and my mom. I knew my dad paid some form of child support. I mean, he was making millions, and there was no way my mother would let that slide.” I took another drink. “After I graduated and started college, naturally, the child support ended. I was an adult. He did his due diligence, and my mom made it clear the money train was over and my future was solely my responsibility.”
I tucked my feet up underneath me, the shift causing my knee to press briefly against his thigh. “I paid for most of my books and as much as I could on the tuition. I didn’t want to start out with a pile of debt, so I worked three jobs. As a tutor, a waitress, and I also carted beer at the country club on the weekends. Iended up having to get student loans because a decent education nowadays practically costs you your firstborn.”
His lips twitched at my attempted joke. “That was a heavy load.”
“Tell me about it.” I rolled my eyes. “I wore out at least one pair of tennis shoes every couple of months.”
“I’m sure you did if you ran nine miles like you did today.” His tone shifted from amused to frustrated. “You can’t do that shit in this heat, Trinity. You could have passed out.”
“I was okay. I mean…yes, I got a little winded.”
“A little?” He growled. “You could barely breathe.”
“Okay.” I held up my hands. “I won’t do it again.”
“Thank you.” He relaxed again, his hand dropping close to my bare leg.
I ignored it. “Anyway, it was hard, but I made it. I was proud, but the way Mom talked, it was like he just left us to waste away. That he wanted nothing to do withme.”
“And that wasn’t true?”
My throat tightened again at the memory, but I swallowed it down and replayed the conversation with my dad, then the conversation with my mom. The longer I spoke, the tighter his fist got. He looked like he was ready to drop the next person who looked at him funny.
“She didn’t even apologize?” He scoffed.
“No.” I closed my eyes. “I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t just keep letting her hurt me over and over.”
“What do you mean over and over?” He sat up straighter, his gaze fixated on mine.
“It’s nothing,” I dismissed the comment.
“Hey.” His voice softened. “If ithurtyou, it’s not nothing. Don’t ever think what you feel is irrelevant.”
Who is this man?He’s supposed to be all muscles and cocky smirks. Not gentle and relatable.
I glanced down at the centimeter of space between my leg and his forearm. I wanted the comfort of his skin on mine, but I also knew that wasn’t an option. For either of us.
“She stole one of my credit cards and maxed it out without telling me, then hid the bills,” I admitted.
The anger for me that was displayed on his features made that stupid flutter resurface.
“I’m sorry.” He reached out to squeeze my knee. “It sucks when the people who are supposed to love us hurt us deliberately.”
My breath hitched at the contact of his warm palm, my heart aching at his words. I got the impression he’d been hurt too. Maybe not in the same way that I had.
“I don’t know what I did to make her…”
His head shook, those dark locks ruffling slightly on his head. “Youdidn’t do anything. Those choices are on her.”
“But she’s my mom, you know? I know she was hurt when he left. It’s why I’ve always backed her. Always took everything she said at face value.” I shrugged. “Because why would she lie?”
