Page 81 of Home With You

She sighs. "I more than like you. I just can't do this. Not yet. I need to figure myself out first. Get my life in order."

I take her hand and look in her eyes. “What did he do to you?"

She looks away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why? Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I'm ashamed. I'm ashamed for not knowing. For not being smarter. For not seeing what I should've seen."

"What didn't you see? What happened?"

She chews on her lip, not answering.

"Raine, just tell me."

"I fell for the wrong person." She pauses. "I trusted him. I let him take me in. Take care of me. I believed what he told me. And I ended up on the streets." Her eyes return to mine. "I can't do that again. I can't fall for some guy and trust that it'll turn out okay."

"Raine, I would never hurt you. I'd never do anything that would put you in the situation you're in now. I'm trying to help you. The whole time I've known you I've been trying to help you."

"I know, and I appreciate everything you've done. But I have to learn to trust myself, and trust that I can take care of myself before I get involved with someone again."

"You've already proven you can take care of yourself. You've been doing it for six months."

"Living on the streets isn't taking care of myself. I need to get a job. I need to be able to support myself."

"Which will take time. And help from other people. Everyone needs help sometimes. Even me. I didn't have money for law school so I took out loans."

"That's not the same. Everyone takes out loans for school. It's different when you have nothing and have to ask people for help. It's basically telling them you failed at taking care of yourself."

"It doesn't mean you failed."

"Then it means I wasn't smart enough. Whatever. It doesn't matter. The point is I want to do this myself. I have to in order to prove to myself I can."

"You've already proved you can do this. You got away from whatever bad situation you were in. You made it out. Even though you ended up on the streets, you still got away and made a new life for yourself."

"But I didn't." She squeezes her eyes shut.

"Didn't what?"

"I didn't get away from him. I wanted to. I had a plan. But I wasn't able to do it. I waited too long. So he did it for me."

"Did what? What are you talking about?"

"I was in a bad situation. I knew I had to get out but I didn't. I wasn't strong enough. I was afraid and didn't do what I should have. Then just as I was about to leave, he did it for me. He got rid of me."

"What do you mean he got rid of you? He kicked you out?"

She swallows. "He tried to kill me."

18

Miles

"He tried to WHAT?" I bolt up, causing her to move off me.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you. Just forget it."

"Forget it?" I turn to her, shock and anger coursing through me. "You just told me some asshole tried to kill you and you want me to forget it?"

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