Page 196 of The Defiant Curse

Why?

Well, because it made him sad, but he opted not to hold it in. At first, he was going to swallow it.

But that felt detrimental.

If they were going to fix what cracks there were in their relationship, it had to be all of the cracks—not just the big ones. The small ones tended to grow over time.

They needed repair too.

“I know I’m not Callen, but I could hold you on my shoulders,” he said. “I’d love to, in fact. You just assume I can’t, and don’t ask me to do things like that anymore. Once, though, you did trust me not to drop you. I wish we never moved away from that trust.”

Oh, holy shit.

At his words, she blinked.

Oh, she heard it in his voice and his words. Clearly, what she’d said about Callen being there stung.

And he was right.

She didn’t ask him because she assumed his back would be hurt, or it might hurt him. She wasn’t exactly a feather.

“I just hurt you, didn’t I?” she asked, turning to focus on him. “By not thinking you could, I just emasculated you.”

He was honest.

“I’m not hurt, but I’m sad you didn’t think to ask me. I’m right here, and at one time, you believed in me. So yes, it kind of emasculates me when you think my brother can do it, but I can’t. I know I was hurt, but I worked damn hard to get back here. I just don’t know why I continually put in the work to be stronger, if you won’t give me a chance to hold you on my shoulders. I hate the gym, but I go daily to lift and get stronger.”

Oh, boy.

He was right.

Again, she helped create the worry she had. More times than not, she treated him like a child who needed to be protected instead of trusting he knew his body. They’d had a big fight about that, and here she was, back there again.

Yep.

That was a foul on her behalf.

So, she readjusted.

“Can you lift my ass up there?” she asked. “So, I can get a closer look? Please? There’s a cookie in it for you,” she said, trying to sweeten the pot, and also heal a hurt she caused.

That’s when they heard it.

They weren’t alone.

“What are you two doing?” Michael asked, eating half a sandwich.

They both jumped.

“Jesus,” she said. “We’re checking out the painting, and can you not creep in a HAUNTED CASTLE? Are you absolutely insane?”

He laughed.

“I mean, it wasn’t haunted two days ago, Ceit two-point-oh, so…”

Well, he had a point.

Or so they kept telling her that.