Page 49 (1/2)

The need to feel safe overwhel into his chest His arhtly around h me

Ethan places a hand behindto fold himself around me, a solid wall of protection

Tears burn the back ofto his back

Besides Dad, I’ve never had another man holdto protect me

A dry sob flutters up ainst his sweater to smother the sound

I feel Ethan’s breath fan over my hair His scent and ar between er

Just hold me like this until my dad comes back

We don’t move, and slowly the panic and fear fade away until my heart races for a whole different reason

Ethan’s palm starts to brush up and down hly aware of themore and more, these ly strong, to the point where I start wondering what it would be like to be intimate with Ethan

He presses a kiss to my hair, and it makes my heart skip a beat before it thunders so hard I’m sure he can feel it

The corners of ain, I realize I’m not entirely destroyed

I think I can have a normal, healthy relationship with Ethan

ETHAN

Getting to hold Finlay… God, there are no words to describe how perfectly she fits against my body

Soer until it spreads throughevery inch of irl

I’ in love with Finlay Christ, I want herin my life

I feel her relax against h my veins I press my mouth to her hair and take a deep breath of her unique scent It washes through s like the sweetest air, and I’ve become addicted to it

Finlay turns her head, resting her cheek beneath my heart, then she whispers, “Thank you”

“Any ti e for her

Slowly and totally against my will, we pull apart My ar her warmth

She turns to the counter and continues tomyself to step back I just want to stay close to her, ready to beg for any scrap of attention she’s willing to give me

When she hands e to kiss her senseless almost overwhelms me