My fingers itched to touch him, to sooth some of the tension from his body. But I wasn’t sure I deserved to touch him ever again.
What would he think of me when he knew the truth?
This was the same man who’d carefully washed my hair. The man who could walk through fire. The man whohadwalked through fire for me…but at what cost?
Part of me hated that I was leaving, because as much as I was guilty for surviving that night when Jess didn’t, I wanted to protect him too. Not leave him like this and run away.
“What?” Roman’s eyes bounced to me before returning to the road.
I blinked, shaking my head. He had noticed me staring. “Nothing.”
“Golden,” he grumbled that silly nickname, and I almost cried when I realized how much it meant to me already, “you can say it.”
I wasn’t sure when he got so good at reading me. “I’m just…” I took a breath. I couldn’t tell him. “I’m going to miss you.”
I sounded ridiculous. Desperate and needy.
Roman didn’t immediately reply. He didn’t offer me words of comfort or reassurance, and I didn’t think it was because he didn’t care. Maybe it was because he didn’t know.
All I could read on his face was a glimmer of regret.
I startled when his hand wrapped around my wrist. His thumb gently caressed my skin, avoiding the bandages on my hands. A heat pooled low in my stomach, and no matter how much I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t. What did I think would become of him and me? He was sending me away, and I didn’t know what things would be like when I came back. Especially after helearned the truth. He wasn’t going to see me the same way, and I wouldn’t blame him.
“I’ll miss you too, Palmer.”
The silence returned, but he didn’t let go of my wrist.
Eventually, we pulled onto a dark rural road in the middle of nowhere by some nature trails. We were near the mountains now, at least I think we were, and though I was safe with Roman, the darkness and isolation made the hair on the back of my neck rise.
I didn’t even see the other vehicle until the headlights of Roman’s truck hit it.
Roman pulled up next to the black SUV, but he didn’t turn his truck off. He waited, not letting go of his hold on my wrist until two figures stepped out.
The nerves hit me all at once as I recognized the men. They were Roman’s brothers, August and Fox.
“Come on.” Roman opened his door.
I nodded, pushing mine open and stepping out into the cold darkness.
The two men standing near the SUV locked on me immediately. It was clear they were assessing me, and I fought the urge to shrink beneath their stares.
I lingered close to the truck until I felt Roman’s presence behind me. His body heat penetrated the biting winter air, and I turned to find him holding a sleeping Hailey against his chest.
He looked at me, and then down at his daughter before gently kissing her forehead. His face twisted with pain.
Roman had said his goodbyes to Hailey before we left Ember Hollow, but it still hurt my heart to see the distress written so plainly across his expression.
“Here,” I said softly, holding out my arms. “I’ll take her.”
Roman hesitated, then shook his head. “Your hands.”
I wrinkled my nose at the bandages, but I supposed he was right.
Together, we walked toward his brothers.
August, who was even more handsome in person, gave me a warm smile when we got close.
“Hey,” he said, the kindness in his voice surprising me. “I’m August. This is Fox.”
