kinds of wet, Meredith.”
That earned him a blush and a groan before she ducked her head back down. “Your witty sexual come-ons won’t work right now.”
“Well, I’ll try again in a few minutes.”
He crouched down in front of her and put his hands on hers. She was freezing. He didn’t like seeing her like this. It reminded him of the defeated woman he’d met last year. “You can talk to me.”
She shook her head and looked up at him. His stomach took a nosedive when he saw the deep frown, the wobbling chin, and the heartbroken eyes. He didn’t think she would say anything, but her next words shattered him with their brutal honesty. “Gage, I don’t know what I’d do if you hated me, too.”
He cleared his throat and raised his arms, cupping both sides of her face, and leaned in. “Impossible. I could never hate you. There comes a point in your life where you’ve got to stop caring what people think about you. Where you’ve been is going to impact where you’re going, and that’s okay, but you’ve got to own it, Mer. The woman I see in front of me is nothing like the one I met a year ago. You’re a hell of a lot smarter and stronger than you think. I know there is nothing you could tell me that would make me hate you. I’ve also come to know your sister. She loves you unconditionally. So why don’t you give yourself a break and just own the mistakes you’ve made, learn from them, and move on?” He kissed the top of her head, and leaned his forehead against hers, wishing like hell that he’d managed to get through to her.
After a few seconds he pulled back. She was like a damn stone fortress, letting no one in. Just as he was about to stand, she tugged on his hand. He didn’t move an inch as he waited, sitting down on the ground in front of her. She was looking down at her lap, her hands clenched so tight they were white. His stomach churned as she didn’t utter a word. He would wait all night.
“I got pregnant when I was nineteen.”
His heart slammed into his rib cage as she spoke with her head bent, her sweet voice low and painfully raw. She’d been pregnant. A part of him didn’t want to know. He didn’t know what he’d do with the knowledge of what she was about to tell him, but he knew, he already knew in his gut, that by the end of this night he’d never be able to be in the same room with her father or Ron without causing one of them bodily harm.
Chapter Nine
A tremor started and then stayed with her, her eyes not leaving Gage. He bent his neck, staring up at the ceiling, his eyes squeezed shut. She didn’t breathe, waiting to see if it was enough, if he would stay or walk out. She studied the strong lines of his shoulders, the stubborn jaw, the mouth that softened for her only, and knew he was strong enough.
Gage was strong enough to hold on to all of her secrets and strong enough to hold her up when she finished telling him everything. Get it out, Meredith, all of it.
“Ron and I were the perfect couple. Our parents went to the same country club, ran in the same circles. It was a natural fit. I had no idea at the time, but I was perfect for Ron. I was spineless and easily manipulated.”
“Mer…”
“It’s true. Wait, you’ll see how weak I was. I didn’t figure out that the only reason Ron even wanted me was because his parents’ company would go to his eldest brother. They knew Ron was a moron and didn’t trust him to run their business when his father retired. Of course, my father, not ever even contemplating that his daughters could have had his business, saw Ron as a son-in-law-to-be the perfect solution. Melanie had left the year earlier and I was…at a low point. He was my first boyfriend, and before I knew it he was treating me like my father treated our mother.”
Gage reached out to lace his fingers through hers. She felt the warmth, the strength in his calloused hands, as he gently squeezed. “Anyway, after a few months, I got pregnant. I had been
That earned him a blush and a groan before she ducked her head back down. “Your witty sexual come-ons won’t work right now.”
“Well, I’ll try again in a few minutes.”
He crouched down in front of her and put his hands on hers. She was freezing. He didn’t like seeing her like this. It reminded him of the defeated woman he’d met last year. “You can talk to me.”
She shook her head and looked up at him. His stomach took a nosedive when he saw the deep frown, the wobbling chin, and the heartbroken eyes. He didn’t think she would say anything, but her next words shattered him with their brutal honesty. “Gage, I don’t know what I’d do if you hated me, too.”
He cleared his throat and raised his arms, cupping both sides of her face, and leaned in. “Impossible. I could never hate you. There comes a point in your life where you’ve got to stop caring what people think about you. Where you’ve been is going to impact where you’re going, and that’s okay, but you’ve got to own it, Mer. The woman I see in front of me is nothing like the one I met a year ago. You’re a hell of a lot smarter and stronger than you think. I know there is nothing you could tell me that would make me hate you. I’ve also come to know your sister. She loves you unconditionally. So why don’t you give yourself a break and just own the mistakes you’ve made, learn from them, and move on?” He kissed the top of her head, and leaned his forehead against hers, wishing like hell that he’d managed to get through to her.
After a few seconds he pulled back. She was like a damn stone fortress, letting no one in. Just as he was about to stand, she tugged on his hand. He didn’t move an inch as he waited, sitting down on the ground in front of her. She was looking down at her lap, her hands clenched so tight they were white. His stomach churned as she didn’t utter a word. He would wait all night.
“I got pregnant when I was nineteen.”
His heart slammed into his rib cage as she spoke with her head bent, her sweet voice low and painfully raw. She’d been pregnant. A part of him didn’t want to know. He didn’t know what he’d do with the knowledge of what she was about to tell him, but he knew, he already knew in his gut, that by the end of this night he’d never be able to be in the same room with her father or Ron without causing one of them bodily harm.
Chapter Nine
A tremor started and then stayed with her, her eyes not leaving Gage. He bent his neck, staring up at the ceiling, his eyes squeezed shut. She didn’t breathe, waiting to see if it was enough, if he would stay or walk out. She studied the strong lines of his shoulders, the stubborn jaw, the mouth that softened for her only, and knew he was strong enough.
Gage was strong enough to hold on to all of her secrets and strong enough to hold her up when she finished telling him everything. Get it out, Meredith, all of it.
“Ron and I were the perfect couple. Our parents went to the same country club, ran in the same circles. It was a natural fit. I had no idea at the time, but I was perfect for Ron. I was spineless and easily manipulated.”
“Mer…”
“It’s true. Wait, you’ll see how weak I was. I didn’t figure out that the only reason Ron even wanted me was because his parents’ company would go to his eldest brother. They knew Ron was a moron and didn’t trust him to run their business when his father retired. Of course, my father, not ever even contemplating that his daughters could have had his business, saw Ron as a son-in-law-to-be the perfect solution. Melanie had left the year earlier and I was…at a low point. He was my first boyfriend, and before I knew it he was treating me like my father treated our mother.”
Gage reached out to lace his fingers through hers. She felt the warmth, the strength in his calloused hands, as he gently squeezed. “Anyway, after a few months, I got pregnant. I had been
Similar Books
