Page 50 of Forever Only Once

“Jesus. I don’t know what to say. Are you safe now?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be safe with him out. And that’s the honest truth. I don’t know. But there’s nothing I can do about it. I have security on my house. The detectives know what’s going on.” She shook her head when I opened my mouth to say more.

“I don’t want to dive into it again. Just know I’m fine. I know it’s a paltry word for what I feel, but it’s the truth. I went through hell, and he caused it, though I caused a little bit because of my determination to do things on my own. I can’t change that.”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself.” Rage coursed through me, but I held it back. The thought of Hazel being hurt made me want to find Thomas and rip his head off his shoulders. But adding more violence to the situation wouldn’t help anyone.

“I didn’t like the fact that Mr. Peterman threw that in my face, but now I guess you understand a bit more of why I’m careful about who I meet. And why it’s taken me so long to go out on a date again.”

I reached across the table and touched her hand. She didn’t pull away. Thank God. “You’re so fucking brave. You don’t need to tell me anything more. It’s not my business to know. It’s your right to tell me what you need to. But the fact that you’re even going out again? I’m so proud of you. That the guy happens to be me? I’m one lucky son of a bitch.”

I said the words a bit crudely to make her laugh, to jolt her out of wherever she was in her head just then.

I hated what she had been through, and I hated more that I couldn’t change it. But I could be there for her. All thoughts of what I was dealing with in regards to Chris flew from my mind, and my inner overprotective asshole came back in full force.

“Let’s just have a good night. Let’s play foodie and eat and drink the rest of this wine, and then maybe chug some water,” she added with a laugh. “And let’s pretend that everything is flowery and wonderful. Because that’s what I need.”

“I can do that. I can be that for you.”

“Good. And then maybe you can tell me why you looked so glower-y even before I told you a bit about my past.”

“I thought you said you wanted to have a good time.”

“Cross.”

I told her about work and Chris, and when she gripped her wine glass tightly and forced herself to set it down, her eyes narrowed in anger, I knew that I had been missing this.

I needed this. Having someone to talk to, to share my fears with. To just be with.

I hadn’t been looking for Hazel. But I’d found her, just like she’d found me.

And as I thought about Chris and this Thomas asshole, I knew that things weren’t perfect, but we were trying to find our way.

I didn’t want to let Hazel go. Even though I was still getting to know her, I felt like I already knew her inside and out.

And that should scare me, but it didn’t.

It just made me want her more.

And even more, it made me want to be a man who deserved her.

I could fall for her if I let myself. Fuck, maybe I already had.

And I had no idea what the hell to do about that.