own little prison hell. She got dealt a shitty hand.”
Braden closes his eyes and she goes on. “Her lot in life is shit. That bastard father of hers, Delgado, almost everyone who has crossed her path has either disappointed or hurt her in some way. If there was something I could do for her, if there was something that I could tell you, dammit, Braden, I would. But I can’t. She would never forgive me for telling you. You have to let her be the one to do it.”
He opens his eyes. “You do know why she ended us.”
“Yes.”
“I need to know.” He reaches across the table, taking Holly's hand. “I need to know so that I can help her. So I can fix this.”
“You can’t fix this. I know you want to. I see it all over your face. But I can’t tell you. She swore me to secrecy, and as her best friend, I have to give her that. When she is ready, she will tell you. In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing. Just handle her with care.”
“She’s in so much pain, Holly.”
“I know,” she whispers.
"I need more. Please," he pleads.
“Again, only thing I can tell you is to handle her with care.”
Braden’s chest gets tight and his jaw clenches.
“I can’t say any more other than the fact that she needs you. You coming around again has been the best thing for her to get through this shit. Nothing Olivia or I could do would break through her barriers like you have just being near. I know she gives you shit sometimes, but stick with her. See it through and you won’t regret it. Please.”
Braden squeezes her hand and releases it, taking another pull of his coffee.
Holly sits back in her chair, bringing her coffee to her lips.
“Last night, Emma showed up at the bar when I was working a shift,” Braden starts. Holly’s eyes slide back to his. “She walked in and saw me talking to a girl I had a thing with not long after she broke up with me. I was hurt and lonely and got tired of not getting a response from her, so I went to Tara. She and I were sleeping together, but I ended it when Em went to the hospital. We weren’t anything serious anyhow—“
“She saw you?” Holly interrupts.
Braden nods his head. “Yeah. Emma saw us and spun so fast to try to run I almost didn’t catch her. Before she left, she could barely look at me, but when she did, Holly, the look in her eyes was filled with so much pain. It cut me deep.”
Holly nods, her eyes going to her coffee cup. “It was hard on her, Braden.”
“I understand. I never wanted her to have to know that I’d been with another, but I did and that’s been over.”
“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.”
Braden’s eyebrows go up. “No?”
“No.” She shakes her head and goes on. “It was hard on her. Breaking up with you. She was broken up about it. She didn’t want to do it.”
“ Why did she?”
“She has to be the one to tell you.”
“Why can’t you tell me? Get it out now. Get this over with.”
“Because.”
“Because, why?” Braden clips, feeling himself start to lose his control on his temper.
“She. Has. To. Tell. You!” Holly fires back, clearly starting to lose her control as well.
“This is bullshit.”
“Listen, I’m not going to tell you anything. Emma is my best friend—“
“Yeah, you’ve made that loud and clear,” Braden interrupts.
“Okay, now that you got it, what I will tell you is that having to break up with you was the hardest damn thing she’s ever had to do. And you know what she’s dealt with in her life. That was the worst. It broke her down, but she had to do it. She had her reasons, and believe it or not, they’re pretty good fucking reasons. She was broken, and what Delgado did to her, what her father did…“ Holly shakes her head. “That completely shattered her.”
“What did Joe do?” Braden asks, now completely confused and getting more pissed by the second.
That
Braden closes his eyes and she goes on. “Her lot in life is shit. That bastard father of hers, Delgado, almost everyone who has crossed her path has either disappointed or hurt her in some way. If there was something I could do for her, if there was something that I could tell you, dammit, Braden, I would. But I can’t. She would never forgive me for telling you. You have to let her be the one to do it.”
He opens his eyes. “You do know why she ended us.”
“Yes.”
“I need to know.” He reaches across the table, taking Holly's hand. “I need to know so that I can help her. So I can fix this.”
“You can’t fix this. I know you want to. I see it all over your face. But I can’t tell you. She swore me to secrecy, and as her best friend, I have to give her that. When she is ready, she will tell you. In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing. Just handle her with care.”
“She’s in so much pain, Holly.”
“I know,” she whispers.
"I need more. Please," he pleads.
“Again, only thing I can tell you is to handle her with care.”
Braden’s chest gets tight and his jaw clenches.
“I can’t say any more other than the fact that she needs you. You coming around again has been the best thing for her to get through this shit. Nothing Olivia or I could do would break through her barriers like you have just being near. I know she gives you shit sometimes, but stick with her. See it through and you won’t regret it. Please.”
Braden squeezes her hand and releases it, taking another pull of his coffee.
Holly sits back in her chair, bringing her coffee to her lips.
“Last night, Emma showed up at the bar when I was working a shift,” Braden starts. Holly’s eyes slide back to his. “She walked in and saw me talking to a girl I had a thing with not long after she broke up with me. I was hurt and lonely and got tired of not getting a response from her, so I went to Tara. She and I were sleeping together, but I ended it when Em went to the hospital. We weren’t anything serious anyhow—“
“She saw you?” Holly interrupts.
Braden nods his head. “Yeah. Emma saw us and spun so fast to try to run I almost didn’t catch her. Before she left, she could barely look at me, but when she did, Holly, the look in her eyes was filled with so much pain. It cut me deep.”
Holly nods, her eyes going to her coffee cup. “It was hard on her, Braden.”
“I understand. I never wanted her to have to know that I’d been with another, but I did and that’s been over.”
“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.”
Braden’s eyebrows go up. “No?”
“No.” She shakes her head and goes on. “It was hard on her. Breaking up with you. She was broken up about it. She didn’t want to do it.”
“ Why did she?”
“She has to be the one to tell you.”
“Why can’t you tell me? Get it out now. Get this over with.”
“Because.”
“Because, why?” Braden clips, feeling himself start to lose his control on his temper.
“She. Has. To. Tell. You!” Holly fires back, clearly starting to lose her control as well.
“This is bullshit.”
“Listen, I’m not going to tell you anything. Emma is my best friend—“
“Yeah, you’ve made that loud and clear,” Braden interrupts.
“Okay, now that you got it, what I will tell you is that having to break up with you was the hardest damn thing she’s ever had to do. And you know what she’s dealt with in her life. That was the worst. It broke her down, but she had to do it. She had her reasons, and believe it or not, they’re pretty good fucking reasons. She was broken, and what Delgado did to her, what her father did…“ Holly shakes her head. “That completely shattered her.”
“What did Joe do?” Braden asks, now completely confused and getting more pissed by the second.
That
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