trusting of other people. I’m always calm and understanding. But…I just love you so damn much. I guess it made me a little crazy.”
My eyes softened. “Flynn…”
“I know how much that guy hurt you. I just don’t want him to bother you, to be anywhere near you. You’re so wonderful and he never appreciated you. He doesn’t deserve to even look at you. It pissed me off that you accepted something so much less than you deserved. You shouldn’t have even opened the door for him.”
“He did hurt me—a lot. But that doesn’t bother me anymore.”
He stared at our joined hands.
“When he told m e she dumped him, I thought it would make me happy, make me feel avenged. But it didn’t. The last six months of our relationship were bad, but there’s also a year and a half before that where we were happy. I see two versions of him. And when he was hurt…I didn’t feel good because of it. I pitied him. Even though it didn’t work out between us, that didn’t mean I wanted his new relationship to fail.”
He turned to me and studied my face. “You’re such a good person.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“He really is an idiot for letting you go.”
“He said the same thing.”
“At least he finally pulled his head out of his ass.”
I squeezed his hand. “Nothing else happened between us. We just talked.”
He sighed. “Baby, I know. I was just being a jerk. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“Cortland told me your lease is up.”
“Yeah…” I looked around at my empty apartment.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t,” he said firmly. “I would never leave you high and dry like that. I really wished you had talked me.”
“I just assumed you wanted nothing to do with me.”
He sighed. “I really hope this doesn’t change our relationship. I worked really hard to gain your trust and now I feel like I’ve broken it—lost it.”
“No, not at all.”
“Baby, I’m never going to break up with you. So every time we fight, which I suspect we’ll do a lot of as time goes on, it doesn’t mean we’re over. If I walk out, it just means I need space.”
“You can’t make a promise like that…”
He gave me a firm look. “Yes, I can.”
I held his gaze until I had to look away.
“Hazel, you’re the one to me. I made that clear.”
“But you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. What if you meet—”
“Never going to happen. The only girl I see in every room is you. I’ve been around and know what’s out there. Believe me, you are the gem of the pile. You’re untarnished and shine like the lights of a million stars. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, you’re the person on my mind. Please don’t doubt my love for you. It’s solid.”
I guess I would never get used to Flynn’s love for me. I only accepted the love I thought I deserved, but if he loved me, then perhaps I deserved it. Flynn’s kindness and patience made him unreal. He was the definition of perfection, with the exception of his outburst a few days ago.
He kept staring at me. “One day, you’ll believe me. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it if I have to.”
“I believe you,” I said immediately. “I just…it’s hard to take in sometimes.”
He kissed my forehead then continued to hold my hand. “When do you have to be out of the apartment?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
He looked at the room, seeing the absence of furniture. “Where’s your bed and couches?”
“I sold them. I thought I didn’t need them…”
“So where have you been sleeping?”
“On the floor…”
I knew he was pissed at himself because the darkness settled in his eyes. He squeezed my hand slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“I’ll give you a nice backrub when we get home.”
“You owe me a lot more than that,” I teased. I gave him a playful look.
“Looks like I have a debt I need to pay.”
“Yep.”
He
My eyes softened. “Flynn…”
“I know how much that guy hurt you. I just don’t want him to bother you, to be anywhere near you. You’re so wonderful and he never appreciated you. He doesn’t deserve to even look at you. It pissed me off that you accepted something so much less than you deserved. You shouldn’t have even opened the door for him.”
“He did hurt me—a lot. But that doesn’t bother me anymore.”
He stared at our joined hands.
“When he told m e she dumped him, I thought it would make me happy, make me feel avenged. But it didn’t. The last six months of our relationship were bad, but there’s also a year and a half before that where we were happy. I see two versions of him. And when he was hurt…I didn’t feel good because of it. I pitied him. Even though it didn’t work out between us, that didn’t mean I wanted his new relationship to fail.”
He turned to me and studied my face. “You’re such a good person.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“He really is an idiot for letting you go.”
“He said the same thing.”
“At least he finally pulled his head out of his ass.”
I squeezed his hand. “Nothing else happened between us. We just talked.”
He sighed. “Baby, I know. I was just being a jerk. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“Cortland told me your lease is up.”
“Yeah…” I looked around at my empty apartment.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t,” he said firmly. “I would never leave you high and dry like that. I really wished you had talked me.”
“I just assumed you wanted nothing to do with me.”
He sighed. “I really hope this doesn’t change our relationship. I worked really hard to gain your trust and now I feel like I’ve broken it—lost it.”
“No, not at all.”
“Baby, I’m never going to break up with you. So every time we fight, which I suspect we’ll do a lot of as time goes on, it doesn’t mean we’re over. If I walk out, it just means I need space.”
“You can’t make a promise like that…”
He gave me a firm look. “Yes, I can.”
I held his gaze until I had to look away.
“Hazel, you’re the one to me. I made that clear.”
“But you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. What if you meet—”
“Never going to happen. The only girl I see in every room is you. I’ve been around and know what’s out there. Believe me, you are the gem of the pile. You’re untarnished and shine like the lights of a million stars. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, you’re the person on my mind. Please don’t doubt my love for you. It’s solid.”
I guess I would never get used to Flynn’s love for me. I only accepted the love I thought I deserved, but if he loved me, then perhaps I deserved it. Flynn’s kindness and patience made him unreal. He was the definition of perfection, with the exception of his outburst a few days ago.
He kept staring at me. “One day, you’ll believe me. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it if I have to.”
“I believe you,” I said immediately. “I just…it’s hard to take in sometimes.”
He kissed my forehead then continued to hold my hand. “When do you have to be out of the apartment?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
He looked at the room, seeing the absence of furniture. “Where’s your bed and couches?”
“I sold them. I thought I didn’t need them…”
“So where have you been sleeping?”
“On the floor…”
I knew he was pissed at himself because the darkness settled in his eyes. He squeezed my hand slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“I’ll give you a nice backrub when we get home.”
“You owe me a lot more than that,” I teased. I gave him a playful look.
“Looks like I have a debt I need to pay.”
“Yep.”
He
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