hurt. "He was more insidious than that."
Jared squeezes my hand, his shoulders slumping. I'm not sure if relief or anger fuels that move, and I choose not to question it before I hurry on, wanting to get this conversation over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.
"He was very demanding sexually. Very harsh. I never did anything right. I was never good enough. The things he wanted me to do for him… they hurt," I whisper, keeping my eyes wide open against the memories threatening to bowl me over. I take another breath and hurry on. "He threw things – at me or across the room. He yelled and cursed and called me a hundred different names, and hurt me in a thousand different ways. But no, he never hit me. I guess I got lucky in that respect."
Jared's quiet for a minute, processing this information. And then he glances at me again, repressed fury burning in jade depths. It's so intense it pins me to my seat. "He was a fucking idiot, Savannah," he whispers, heat in his voice. "Any man who doesn't appreciate you for the gift you are doesn't deserve to touch you."
I don't know what else to do or say, so I nod.
We lapse into silence again.
Jared speeds toward an off-ramp on the south side of the city, and then weaves confidently through the mid-day traffic. The silence between us is tense this time as I try to shove Toby back down into the place he belongs: my past. He's controlled enough of my life. I don't want to give him any more.
"I'm adopted, you know," Jared says while we wait at a red light.
I glance up in surprise and find him focused on me again.
His expression is shuttered, careful.
"I didn't know," I murmur.
"My biological father was abusive." His eyes dart toward the traffic light and then back to me. "I was only seven when the Corbits adopted me, but I still remember being terrified when my father would start hitting my mom."
My heart breaks a little for him. "Jared, I'm so sorry. Is that… is that why you're adopted?"
He shakes his head.
The light changes.
"No. He and my mom were killed in a car accident." Jared pulls carefully through the intersection. "He was drinking and wrapped the car around a light pole. They died instantly."
Oh, God.
My heart breaks for him a little more.
"I'm so sorry," I whisper. It seems completely inadequate, of course. "My father was killed when I was eighteen months old. He rear-ended someone's truck one morning. The guy got out and shot him right there." I don't even remember my father, but his death still makes me sad. It still makes me wonder… If he'd survived, would my mom still be here?
I'm honestly not sure if she'd have been different. She never really wanted a kid. She never wanted that responsibility, but he did. He wanted me, and I never got to know him. That fact will never stop hurting.
I clear my throat, pushing the heartache away. "What are your adopted parents like?"
"They're great." Jared's face lights up, that same soft smile from before tugging at the corners of his lips. "My dad is Chief of Neonatology at Benioff and my mom is… my mom." He laughs. It's one of those indulgent laughs, like he doesn't quite know what to make of her, but can't hide his adoration. "Her parents owned shipping ventures, vineyards, and a myriad of smaller companies abroad. They left it all to her, so she does a little of everything when the necessity strikes. She's a silent figurehead for the most part, but she takes great pleasure in laying down the law on occasion. She's frighteningly good at it."
"Wow," I manage to say. "Is that where your interest in business came from? Watching her?"
"Mmm," he murmurs, and then, "Are you okay with Greek?"
"Greek is good." I swallow back the urge to sigh at his evasion, reminding myself that this was my choice. I decided not to push. Still…is it too soon to regret that decision a little?
"Good." He flips on the blinker and whips into a parking lot. Pulling into a spot, he turns the car off before looking at me, his
Jared squeezes my hand, his shoulders slumping. I'm not sure if relief or anger fuels that move, and I choose not to question it before I hurry on, wanting to get this conversation over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.
"He was very demanding sexually. Very harsh. I never did anything right. I was never good enough. The things he wanted me to do for him… they hurt," I whisper, keeping my eyes wide open against the memories threatening to bowl me over. I take another breath and hurry on. "He threw things – at me or across the room. He yelled and cursed and called me a hundred different names, and hurt me in a thousand different ways. But no, he never hit me. I guess I got lucky in that respect."
Jared's quiet for a minute, processing this information. And then he glances at me again, repressed fury burning in jade depths. It's so intense it pins me to my seat. "He was a fucking idiot, Savannah," he whispers, heat in his voice. "Any man who doesn't appreciate you for the gift you are doesn't deserve to touch you."
I don't know what else to do or say, so I nod.
We lapse into silence again.
Jared speeds toward an off-ramp on the south side of the city, and then weaves confidently through the mid-day traffic. The silence between us is tense this time as I try to shove Toby back down into the place he belongs: my past. He's controlled enough of my life. I don't want to give him any more.
"I'm adopted, you know," Jared says while we wait at a red light.
I glance up in surprise and find him focused on me again.
His expression is shuttered, careful.
"I didn't know," I murmur.
"My biological father was abusive." His eyes dart toward the traffic light and then back to me. "I was only seven when the Corbits adopted me, but I still remember being terrified when my father would start hitting my mom."
My heart breaks a little for him. "Jared, I'm so sorry. Is that… is that why you're adopted?"
He shakes his head.
The light changes.
"No. He and my mom were killed in a car accident." Jared pulls carefully through the intersection. "He was drinking and wrapped the car around a light pole. They died instantly."
Oh, God.
My heart breaks for him a little more.
"I'm so sorry," I whisper. It seems completely inadequate, of course. "My father was killed when I was eighteen months old. He rear-ended someone's truck one morning. The guy got out and shot him right there." I don't even remember my father, but his death still makes me sad. It still makes me wonder… If he'd survived, would my mom still be here?
I'm honestly not sure if she'd have been different. She never really wanted a kid. She never wanted that responsibility, but he did. He wanted me, and I never got to know him. That fact will never stop hurting.
I clear my throat, pushing the heartache away. "What are your adopted parents like?"
"They're great." Jared's face lights up, that same soft smile from before tugging at the corners of his lips. "My dad is Chief of Neonatology at Benioff and my mom is… my mom." He laughs. It's one of those indulgent laughs, like he doesn't quite know what to make of her, but can't hide his adoration. "Her parents owned shipping ventures, vineyards, and a myriad of smaller companies abroad. They left it all to her, so she does a little of everything when the necessity strikes. She's a silent figurehead for the most part, but she takes great pleasure in laying down the law on occasion. She's frighteningly good at it."
"Wow," I manage to say. "Is that where your interest in business came from? Watching her?"
"Mmm," he murmurs, and then, "Are you okay with Greek?"
"Greek is good." I swallow back the urge to sigh at his evasion, reminding myself that this was my choice. I decided not to push. Still…is it too soon to regret that decision a little?
"Good." He flips on the blinker and whips into a parking lot. Pulling into a spot, he turns the car off before looking at me, his
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