“You’re my kid, Charlotte,” he said.
“I don’t understand how that makes it okay for me to piss you off.”
He grinned. “It’s normal for kids to piss off their parents.”
“And it’s normal for a parent not to hurt them for it?”
His grin faded instantly. “The last thing a parent wants is for their child to be hurt.”
“That’s not normal for me.”
His shoulders slumped a little. “I know, kid. I can’t take back what your mother has done. All I can do is show you that I’m nothing like her and ask that you give me the time to do that.”
I was unsure how to respond to that. So I didn’t say anything at all.
He stood. “Are you hungry?”
It was such a topic shift that it took me a second to compute what he had asked. I nodded despite my thoughts still reeling from what had just happened. I’d acted poorly and felt a strong need to apologize for it.
“Why don’t we get some lunch from the kitchen?” he said, heading for the door.
“Bram,” I said, stopping him before he walked out.
He glanced back at me. “Yeah?”
“I’m—”
“I don’t want you to apologize,” he said before I could get all the words out. “I understand why you’re scared to trust me. I trusted a woman I barely knew to care for my child. I made a bad call, and you suffered because of it. So please don’t apologize to me when all you’re trying to do is make me prove I won’t leave you again.”
“I can’t be awful to you and not apologize for it.”
“You can do whatever you want.”
I scoffed. If only that were true.
“How about a compromise, then?” he said. “Tell me you’re sorry when you trust me. Until then, do what you have to do to get there. Yell, scream, break shit—I can take it.”
I thought about it. “Okay.”
“Good. Let’s go eat.”
Chapter Seven
A little knockpulled me from finishing the last touches on my drawing. Roe was leaning against the doorframe with my new chem textbook tucked under his arm. He was still in his uniform, sans the Kendry burgundy blazer and tie, and the sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up almost to his elbows. From head to toe, he was in all black. He reminded me so much of a charcoal drawing.
The corner of his mouth lifted. “No hello? You’re just going to stare?”
I met his storm-blue eyes and nodded.
He pushed off the doorframe and walked over. I had expected to see Wyatt or Mac come in behind him, but remembered they both had work today.
Once he made it over to where I was sitting in bed, he leaned down. Knowing what he intended, I tilted my head back and his lips pressed to mine.
I was disappointed that it was just a peck. As he pulled away, I asked, “Is that all?”
Smiling, he put his hand on the back of my head before covering my mouth with his again and kissing the hell out of me. I couldn’t lift my arms to touch him without it hurting. So all Icould do was be at his mercy as his lips and tongue showed me just how much he desired me. It felt so good to feel something other than the bad.
Before I could get too breathless and my lips too swollen, he pulled away. He ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “Better?”
