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“What are you saying?” I ask and she looks away, refusing to meet my eyes.

“Nothing. Just that people lie, they lie all the time, and they manipulate the world around them to make people believe their lies.” She chews on her bottom lip and I can’t take my eyes off her. I’m getting another elusive glimpse under the mask and I’m mesmerized by the pain splashed across her face. “If you really believe she wouldn’t have gone back, maybe it’s worth looking into. At the very least, you’ll get closure.”

Something happened to her - something awful, something that haunts every aspect of her life. I was suspicious before but now I’m sure and all I want to do is fix it. Protectiveness wells up inside me as I think about someone hurting her and a deep rumble sounds in my chest. She looks back to me, her eyes wide.

“What happened to you, Princess?” I whisper, cupping her cheek as I search her gaze like it’ll tell me everything I need to know. Her wide eyes get even wider and a tear slips down her cheek before she can stop it. She jerks out of my arms and stumbles off my lap, shaking her head.

“Nothing. Nothing happened to me,” she mutters, still shaking her head and my fucking heart breaks in two in my chest. “You need to leave.”

Yeah, that’s not going to fucking happen.

Pushing off the couch, I go to her, catching her in my arms before she can run away, and hold her close. “Please don’t make me leave. I need you tonight and whether or not you want to admit it, I think you need me, too.”

The only sound is her labored breaths as I wait for her answer and I feel like she has the power to destroy me here. Finally, she nods. “Okay.”

Letting out a sigh, I pull her into my arms and my fingers dig into her hair as I kiss the top of her head. She pulls away and looks up at me, guarded but not completely closed off.

“One last thing, okay?”

When she nods, I give her the most reassuring smile I can. “I’m here for you, Carly. For as long as you’ll have me, I’m yours and you can tell me anything.”

She drops her head, her forehead pressing against my chest as she grips my shirt in a fist. Her heaving back and the wet spot forming on my t-shirt are the only indications I have she’s crying and it tears my fucking heart out. Leaning down, I scoop her up into my arms and carry her to bed, hoping that one day she’ll feel safe enough to let me in. I’ll wait as long as it takes because if I know one thing for sure, it’s that I am completely and totally in love with this woman.