Page 157 of The Pucking Wrong Man

“For as long as I can remember,” I began haltingly, “the men in my life have felt like they were owed something. Like anything they did to provide for me...or my mother went on an invisible list that they kept careful records on. My earliest memory is of my mother and father arguing, my father screaming at her that she owed him for the work he put in every week. Like taking care of me wasn’t enough for him.”

I sighed, my hand flattening on the sheets as I took a deep breath. “She left soon after that. She left me. And then I was the one who owed my dad something.”

I finally glanced up at his face, instead of the pity I thought for sure he would have, there was just patience...and understanding, like everything was becoming clearer to him.

“It continued after that. After…after my dad hurt me, and I got placed with the Carvers, they never let me forget how generous they were. How I literally owed them everything for taking me in. How they had to help me pay for dance after I lost my scholarship. Michael was especially keen on reminding me how much I owed them.”

I took a deep shuddering breath, hoping he was really getting it.

“All my life, the people around me have made me feel like I’m a burden, that anything they give me comes with a price. I…I don’t want it to be like that with us. I never want you to feel like I’m using you, that I’m not here for the right reasons. Especially when there’s such a gap between who you are and...me.”

It’s why I still can’t tell you everything, a voice inside me cried.

I couldn’t look at him then. I tore my eyes from his face and stared at the sheets again.

“I would die if you ever felt like that. If you ever told me I owed you for the love that you’ve given me,” I whispered.

Camden’s fingertips grazed the side of my face, and then he was softly moving my chin up so I had to look at him.

“It seems like me promising I’d never feel that way won’t convince you…yet. So, how about I promise you that I will tell you if I ever start to? Will that work for you, baby girl? Will you at least give me your trust that I will do that?”

I studied him, my mind filled with all that had happened the last few weeks. All the things he had said, all the things he had done.

It was shocking when it hit me. I had spent all this time telling myself I couldn’t trust him, but it wasn’t true.

I did trust him. More than I had anyone else. How careful and gentle he’d been with me from the start. How he’d waited for me to fall in love with him. How he’d already done so much for me without asking for anything.

How sure I was that he really loved me.

“Okay,” I whispered, and his eyes widened.

“Okay, what?”

“I believe you. I…I trust you.”

His eyes closed and he let out a sigh, and then he was reaching out and pulling me to him.

“Will you let me take care of you? Let me help you work toward your dreams. Trust that I will tell you if I ever start to resent that.”

I took a deep breath, because this was big. This was giving him...the final piece of me. The piece that he could use to destroy me completely.

“Yes,” I finally whispered. “I will.”

Camden kissed me softly and then laid us both down. “Get a little more rest for me, baby girl,” he murmured as I nuzzled into his shirt, breathing him in. “I’ll take care of everything..."

CHAPTER 30

ANASTASIA

This felt big. I was going to my first away game since I started dating Camden...and I was flying on Lincoln’s private jet with Monroe, Blake, and Olivia freaking Davis. Or at least I thought it was Lincoln’s jet. Camden had been kind of vague about the details.

I had also taken my first voluntary day off of ballet—ever—to be here.

It felt like a big step in our relationship.

As Camden liked to remind me, not as big as a dick tattoo...but close.

He’d had to leave early to fly with the team, so I was waiting in the lobby for the car that was going to take me to the plane. Camden had told me to wait in the penthouse until it got here, but I was too anxious, so I came downstairs. Despite my best efforts...I had already started depending on Camden even before our life altering conversation last week—especially in social situations.

---