Page 18 of Escape

My body had gone rigid. Huck wasn’t even the kind of man I pegged for a liar, but it seemed impossible that he would be doing something for a living that I desperately needed to know how to do.

Understanding seemed to dawn on his features at my reaction, and his voice was gentle when he spoke again. “I teach people how to defend themselves.”

My belly clenched, my throat tightening painfully. Huck spent his days teaching people how to defend themselves. I wondered if he could do that for me. “You—you do?” I croaked.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

Somehow, I didn’t ask him what I really wanted to ask him. I was terrified what he would think if he learned the truth about where my life was now. Would he be disappointed? Of all the people in the world, Huck was the last person I’d want to leave feeling disappointed.

Doing my best to brush off the shock I felt, I asked, “And you like what you do?”

“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life,” he confessed. “I just taught a class this morning before coming here.”

I loved that for him. I loved that he seemed to be feeling a sense of pride in the work that he did. He earned a living feeling good about the impact he had on the lives of people who were brave enough to take classes with him.

“That’s good. I’m glad for you, Huck,” I murmured.

“You should try it,” he suggested.

My brows shot up, silently questioning him. Was he so good at what he did that he just knew the situation I was in? “Pardon?”

Huck reached his hand into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and slipped a card out of it. He held the card out to me and said, “This is the information for Harper Security Ops. We offer a free class for anyone who thinks they might be interested in getting lessons. We always want to be sure we’re a good fit for someone before they make that commitment. If you want to try out a class just for the fun of it, I’d love to have the opportunity to teach you.”

Some relief settled within me. He was merely being friendly. He didn’t know just how dire my situation was, and I was relieved to know he hadn’t cottoned on. I held the card up and said, “I’ll certainly keep that in mind.”

And I would.

The truth was that I had a plan, even if it was slow moving. I was going to get out from under Kurt’s thumb. As soon as I did that, it probably would be a wise idea to learn some self-defense skills, because I wasn’t quite sure Kurt would so easily give me up.

“Please do,” he urged me. “I promise you don’t have to have any prior experience. Plus, we also offer private lessons, if you would prefer that over group classes.”

I nodded my understanding. “That’s good to know.”

Huck didn’t respond. He stared at me, a question lingering in his eyes. I was too curious not to know what he was thinking, so I asked, “What is it?”

He shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving my face. “It’s just… it’s so good to see you, Josie.”

“I feel the same, Huck. I’m glad to know you’re doing well.”

“Look, I know I said I’m going to come back here sometime, but I’ve got to be honest. I’d love the opportunity to catch up with you when you don’t have to work,” he said. “Would you be up for getting together for a cup of coffee sometime?”

My shoulders fell.

When Huck and I were in high school, I’d wanted nothing more than for him to show an interest in me that went beyond the very real and much needed friendship he’d given me that year. He was sweet, kind, and generous. He made me feel good, and I was the happiest whenever I was around him.

But not once in all that time had he ever indicated he had any interest in me as anything more than just a friend. If he’d dropped one crumb, one hint of anything, I would have jumped through hoops to have him. Granted, I realized a relationship at that age might not have been able to stand the test of time, but Huck was such a good guy, I didn’t think anything I could have experienced with him would have been bad.

Now, I didn’t know what to think.

Was he asking to get together simply because he wanted to reignite that friendship? Was there something else lingering behind the request?

Either way, I wanted it. If the only thing I could have was his friendship, I wanted it. Unfortunately, I didn’t think it would ever be possible as long as I was living with Kurt. God, I needed to get out.

“Oh, Huck, I’d love to,” I said. “Unfortunately, life is a little bit busy for me right now. And, well, I’m just trying to work as much as I can. I’m hoping things should settle down in a few months, though.”

Disappointment washed over him. “I understand. I hope you’re okay with me continuing to come in and visit you here.”

I didn’t want to lose the connection to him. “Of course. I’d be happy to see you.”