“Tell me what I want to hear, Aiden.” Those bright violet eyes blink, barely holding back tears. “Tell me the truth.”
I watch his jaw work. He watches me for a moment. “I love you.”
There’s so much weight in those words. I know someone like him doesn’t take them lightly. “Will you hurt me again?”
“Most likely. I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing.” His eyes harden with so much heat behind them. I blink at him and watch him deflate. “No.”
“Cheat on m?—”
“No.” His jaw clenches. “Never.”
“I know you had no one else to help you, that you’re used to being alone. But I am not leaving you. I am not giving up on you. I love you. Do you hear me? I love you so much, and it’s killing me seeing you in so much pain. You don’t deserve the abuse you’ve been through. I can’t imagine how scared you must have felt.”
“I did something horrible.”
“You tried to save your sister’s life, and then tried hard to save mine when shit got too deep for you to wade through. You dealt with all of that alone.”
“Don’t make excuses.”
“It’s not an excuse. It’s a fact. I see you, Aiden. The real you. You aren’t just some asshole who tried to ruin my life. You’re someone with his back against the wall trying to save his family. You’re the bravest person I know.” Right next to my mother who fled this life so mine didn’t turn out like his.
Aiden grabs me against his body and kisses me hard. My fingers dive into his hair as he backs me into the shower wall. While I want to drown here in his arms, I need him to eat. I can feel how weak he is.
I pull away, watching disappointment flash in his pretty eyes. “You need to eat.” His eyes heat. “Food. Real food. I’m sure you haven’t eaten much lately.”
“I will. First I want this.” Without another word, Aiden grabs me to him and holds me tight until the water runs cold. “I’ll never hurt you again,” he whispers.
I pull back to look at him and smile.
This is not what I thought love would look like.
It’s messy and more complicated than I’d like.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I don’t mind that.
Not when he’s the reward.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
AIDEN
I don’t wantto do this.
But I have to.
I walk into the gym and find who I’m looking for. Cam’s golden eyes flit to me, narrow to slits, then he pretends to be busy.
Great.
Sawyer told me they filled in Bo and Cam on what had happened between Ivan, us, and the farmhouse. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t been back to the gym since. I can’t put it off any longer.
I walk up to the desk and see the woman standing next to him. She looks between us then shakes her head. I think her name is Sam. She’s the owner if I remember. I wait for him to acknowledge me, and I see how hard he’s trying to fight it.
“Cam?” He keeps typing, eyes furiously locked on the computer. “Camden?”
Sam clears her throat. “Camden?”
“Yes, Samantha? Can I help you?” Cam ignores me.
