her face.
He wipes them away, first on one side of her face and then the other. “You are your own keeper, Nicole. I’m just your protector. I can’t let you go back to him. He’ll kill you next time, you know that, don’t you?”
She tries to look away, but he won’t let her.
“He might,” she concedes. “But I still have to go.”
“Why?” He looks really sad, and it makes her heart hurt to see it.
“Because. He’ll just find me anyway. He always does. And if he finds me at your house, he could hurt you. Or your son.”
“He won’t find us, and if he tries to lay a finger on any one of the three of us, I’ll beat him to a pulp and put him in jail for the rest of his life.”
The spark of hope that has stayed alive deep inside her springs up into a tiny flame. “Why would you do that for me? I’m just a woman with a destroyed face and body and nowhere to go.” The sob leaps from her throat and shakes her whole body.
He leans in and pulls her torso forward gently, enveloping her in a hug. “No, you’re not. You’re a girl who fell in love with the wrong guy. Your face doesn’t matter, it’s your heart that’s important. And if you can love a guy like that, then I know it has to be twice the size of a normal one. Besides … you do have somewhere to go. You’re going to my place.”
“Because I’m your sister,” she says, feeling like she’s almost ready to surrender. She has nothing to lose except herself, and right now that seems hardly worth much to fight over.
“Yeah. Because you’re my sister for now.” He puts her back down on the bed, smoothing her hair away from her face and smiling. “Please say you’ll do it. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
She snorts sadly. “That’s not a hard promise to keep around me, considering what I look like.”
“Don’t say that about yourself.” Brian goes back to holding her hand. It’s barely been without his warmth since she entered the hospital. “Beauty comes from inside, not out.”
“Is your ex-wife pretty?”
“Yes. She’s beautiful.”
“Then I’m not sure I believe what you’re saying, but I appreciate the effort and the thought.” It makes her sad to think that her life with a man is over, but she’s not stupid enough to think that any man could love who she is now. She has nothing to offer. No pride, no beauty, no accomplishments … nothing.
“A pretty face brings people to you, sure,” he agrees. “But it’s the personality and what’s inside that keeps them there. Personally, if I had to choose between a pretty face and a great personality, I’d choose the personality.”
She looks at him, taking in his ruggedly handsome face, his soft blue eyes, and his muscular frame. Sighing, she says, “I guess that means your personality isn’t worth a hoot.”
He barks out a laugh and leans in to kiss her cheek, making her go all warm inside. She can’t remember the last time a man kissed her with such tenderness. Maybe never.
“That’s hilarious. I’ll take that compliment, thank you very much.” Brian’s grin lights up his whole face.
“Who’s Briana?” Nicole asks, suddenly feeling the immensity of her life. In this moment, everything she ever knew about herself and the world is being turned upside down. The only question she has left is, Why? Why is this man helping me of all people?
His smile disappears. He has to clear his throat before he can answer. “Briana was my twin sister.”
“Where is she now?” Nicole asks very softly, sensing the answer will be difficult for them both.
“She died a while back.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
Brian lifts her hand and kisses the back of it. “So am I.”
Chapter Nineteen
BRIAN’S CELL STARTS BUZZING IN his pocket. When he sees who it is, he steps outside the hospital room to take the call.
“Hey,
He wipes them away, first on one side of her face and then the other. “You are your own keeper, Nicole. I’m just your protector. I can’t let you go back to him. He’ll kill you next time, you know that, don’t you?”
She tries to look away, but he won’t let her.
“He might,” she concedes. “But I still have to go.”
“Why?” He looks really sad, and it makes her heart hurt to see it.
“Because. He’ll just find me anyway. He always does. And if he finds me at your house, he could hurt you. Or your son.”
“He won’t find us, and if he tries to lay a finger on any one of the three of us, I’ll beat him to a pulp and put him in jail for the rest of his life.”
The spark of hope that has stayed alive deep inside her springs up into a tiny flame. “Why would you do that for me? I’m just a woman with a destroyed face and body and nowhere to go.” The sob leaps from her throat and shakes her whole body.
He leans in and pulls her torso forward gently, enveloping her in a hug. “No, you’re not. You’re a girl who fell in love with the wrong guy. Your face doesn’t matter, it’s your heart that’s important. And if you can love a guy like that, then I know it has to be twice the size of a normal one. Besides … you do have somewhere to go. You’re going to my place.”
“Because I’m your sister,” she says, feeling like she’s almost ready to surrender. She has nothing to lose except herself, and right now that seems hardly worth much to fight over.
“Yeah. Because you’re my sister for now.” He puts her back down on the bed, smoothing her hair away from her face and smiling. “Please say you’ll do it. I promise to keep my hands to myself.”
She snorts sadly. “That’s not a hard promise to keep around me, considering what I look like.”
“Don’t say that about yourself.” Brian goes back to holding her hand. It’s barely been without his warmth since she entered the hospital. “Beauty comes from inside, not out.”
“Is your ex-wife pretty?”
“Yes. She’s beautiful.”
“Then I’m not sure I believe what you’re saying, but I appreciate the effort and the thought.” It makes her sad to think that her life with a man is over, but she’s not stupid enough to think that any man could love who she is now. She has nothing to offer. No pride, no beauty, no accomplishments … nothing.
“A pretty face brings people to you, sure,” he agrees. “But it’s the personality and what’s inside that keeps them there. Personally, if I had to choose between a pretty face and a great personality, I’d choose the personality.”
She looks at him, taking in his ruggedly handsome face, his soft blue eyes, and his muscular frame. Sighing, she says, “I guess that means your personality isn’t worth a hoot.”
He barks out a laugh and leans in to kiss her cheek, making her go all warm inside. She can’t remember the last time a man kissed her with such tenderness. Maybe never.
“That’s hilarious. I’ll take that compliment, thank you very much.” Brian’s grin lights up his whole face.
“Who’s Briana?” Nicole asks, suddenly feeling the immensity of her life. In this moment, everything she ever knew about herself and the world is being turned upside down. The only question she has left is, Why? Why is this man helping me of all people?
His smile disappears. He has to clear his throat before he can answer. “Briana was my twin sister.”
“Where is she now?” Nicole asks very softly, sensing the answer will be difficult for them both.
“She died a while back.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
Brian lifts her hand and kisses the back of it. “So am I.”
Chapter Nineteen
BRIAN’S CELL STARTS BUZZING IN his pocket. When he sees who it is, he steps outside the hospital room to take the call.
“Hey,
Similar Books
