Page 127 of Broken Saint

On anyone else, I’d despise it, but on Ella, it hits differently.

She might not be able to understand the situation—unless you’ve lived with a bipolar, unstable parent I think it’s probably impossible—but she’s trying.

She’s Ella. Of course she’s trying.

Reaching over, she takes my hand in hers, twisting our fingers together and squeezing.

“Take me home, Colt,” she demands, understanding that this is the last place on Earth I want to be right now.

Without saying a word, I start the car again and take off.

We drive in silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. If anything, it’s more comfortable than we’ve ever been.

She knows the truth. West aside, I don’t think I’ve ever been truly closer to another person.

The heat of her palm burns through the fabric covering my thigh, giving me the support I need as I try to process everything that just happened.

“You hungry?” I ask as we head back downtown.

“Uh…I could eat, yeah,” she agrees.

“Have you had anything today?”

“Letty brought breakfast with her,” she explains.

I balk. “That was hours ago.”

“It was a big breakfast,” she argues, earning herself a scowl.

“We’re going for dinner,” I announce.

“Colt, no. I’m not dressed for?—”

“You’re perfect. You’re always fucking perfect.”

She ducks her head. If the car weren’t so dark, I’m sure I’d see her cheeks blazing.

“I mean it, El. You should have run after what I just confessed.”

“None of that makes you unworthy, Colt. There is nothing about you that’s unworthy.”

A smile pulls across my lips as I let her words settle.

“Not true, but I appreciate the sentiment, Bombshell.”

Her lips twitch with her need to argue, but she fights the words as I stop on a side street and pull my cell from my pocket.

“Tacos good with you?”

“Is that a serious question?” she teases.

Laughing, I unlock my cell and find the number for the Mexican restaurant we’re parked just down the street from.

“Hey, Luis, man, it’s Colt,” I say when the owner answers the phone.

“Hey, man. Long time no speak. Your game was insane the other night.”

“Yeah, we did pretty good.”