Better Late Than Never by Stephanie Morris Page A

occasion, hear it in his voice when he spoke. It worried her because she knew it could affect their relationship. She shifted closer to him whispering his name. When he looked down at her, she gave him a small smile. He studied her, and she saw a look of concern fall upon his face.
     
    “Is something wrong?”
     
    “Yes and no. I guess I just have a lot on my mind.”
     
    He turned off the television. “Do you want to talk about it?”
     
    She studied him for a momentarily before responding. “I’m afraid you will hurt me again.”  
     
    He gave her a puzzled look. “Why would you think I’d want to hurt you?”
     
    She shook her head. “I know you wouldn’t hurt me on purpose, but it is obvious that you are still affected by what Lila did to you.”
     
    She reached out and touched his face. “Your eyes are different. When you speak to me it’s different than it used to be. I hear a hesitance that didn’t used to be there.”
     
    He nodded. “I am different, and so are you, Kristen. You are more confident, more outspoken. They are changes that I like because they add to who you are.” He sighed. “I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
     
    Kristen closed her eyes. “I want you to tell me that you are over what Lila did to you.”
     
    He remained silent, and her heart lurched with pain. She thought she would be prepared for this, but she wasn’t.
     
    “Look at me, Kristen.”
     
    At the pleading note in his voice, she opened her eyes. The sadness she saw in them hurt her.
     
    “I’m not sure I can get over what Lila did to me.” The corner of his mouth tilted up. “It would be like me asking you to get over me breaking up with you.”
     
    She gave him a heated look. “It’s not the same.”
     
    He nodded. “It is the same, but I would never ask you that because I’m not sure that anyone can get over the pain of getting hurt. I think that one learns to live with the pain, and hopefully, they forgive the person who inflicted it at some point.”
     
    She remained silent. He had a good point, and she hated it. She wasn’t over the pain that she and her family had been caused by the man that shot and killed her father, but in time the pain became less, and she had forgiven the shooter.
     
    Randy brought her hand up to his lips and placed a kiss on it. “So I would love to tell you that I am over Lila but not for the reasons you think. I no longer have feelings for Lila, but Wade does. He still has a hurt that I can’t fix. Every time I have to explain to Wade why Lila left, it is like reopening the wound.”
     
    Kristen paused. She never thought about it in that way. She should have because she shared a similar experience herself. After he father had been shot in the line of duty, she constantly questioned why it had to be her dad and not someone else’s. It had been the same when her mother passed away. She had an advantage over Wade. At her age she had been able to understand a lot more. She looked at the man in front her and felt admiration for him.
     
    “Wade is lucky to have you.”
     
    Randy shook his head. “I am fortunate to have Wade.”
     
    He grinned at her. “I’m also lucky that you are giving me a chance to prove to you that I do care for you and want you back in my life.”
     
    She leaned closer to him. “By me giving you a chance, do you think we can make it this time around?”
     
    He smiled before bringing his hand up to cup her face. “If we work together, I don’t see why we can’t.”
     
    She watched Randy lean toward her. When his lips touched hers, she sighed. He pulled her closer, and she ended up on his lap. She brought her arms up and encircled his neck. She hardly noticed when he broke off the kiss to take off her shirt.
     
    He pulled back and studied her. “Are you sure about this because I don’t want you to have any regrets?”
     
    She sighed with contentedness. This was a moment that she used to dream about. She didn’t want to