Page 64 of Kept in the Dark

“It’s not your fault. You couldn't have known,” she said.

Hailey couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Shame dug its claws in, taunting her.

“No, I should have been there to protect you. I should have been a better man and gone after you when you left. There’s a lot of things I should have done differently. I promised to be there for you, and I wasn’t. That’s on me.”

She pulled her hand away from his and picked at a leaf that had fallen on the bench next to her. She didn’t know what to say. Part of her wanted to yell at him again. He should have been there. But the other part of her knew it wasn’t his fault, she was only looking for someone to blame.

And that someone was Ryan.

“Look at me, Hailey,” Trey said.

“I can’t. I shouldn’t have needed you to save me, and I hate myself for it. I hate that you’ll only see me as this girl who couldn’t save herself.” She closed her eyes and sighed, calming herself.

Trey gently touched her chin with his finger, turning her head to look at him. His jaw was set, and his brown eyes were now darker.

He said firmly, “You’re a survivor. You did that. You made it out alive. You didn’t need me, and you saved our daughter because you refused to be a victim.”

She cried then, soft sobs. Trey pulled her close and kissed her hair. She allowed herself to melt into his chest, her body shaking as she did. She felt safe in his arms, and he stroked her hair as her tears stained his shirt. She took in a breath, his scent calming her.

Finally, she pulled away and placed a hand on his cheek. “Somehow, we’ve been given a second chance, and I don’t want to mess that up. I want to make this work.”

Trey kissed her then. Deep but gentle. His hands cupped her face and hers rested on his chest as she took him in.

Then, she pulled away and smiled. “Slow down, cowboy. We’ve got stuff to do.”

He kissed her nose. “We’ll pick up where we left off later.” He winked at her and she giggled.

She hoped they could make things work between them not only for Trinity, but because she and Trey deserved to be happy. Because she loved him. And she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

“Twice in one day,” Gavin said.

Sara turned around, surprised to see him.

She always thought Gavin was a prick for the way he treated Hailey. He was snotty, entitled, and a womanizer, even as a teenager. She hated to think how seductive he was now, especially given the way he looked. His beard and tattoos made him appear daring, maybe even dangerous. To her horror, she found him quite attractive as he smiled at her, eyeing her up and down.

“Wow, how could I be so lucky?” Sara said dryly.

“You look good, Sara.”

Sara could feel the heat on her cheeks. She nearly shriveled up on the ground, equally embarrassed and intrigued by his straightforwardness. Ever the ladies' man, she didn’t trust him at all. And that somehow made him even sexier.

Typical.

“Can’t say the same for you,” she quipped.

He smiled. They both knew she was lying.

“I’ll walk with you.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “I’ll pass.”

Gavin was the last person she wanted to spend time with. The fact he thought she was even approachable was slightly alarming.

He put his hands up. “I just wanted to catch up, see how you were doing.”

She raised a brow. “You mean get the inside scoop on my life’s story and how I spent the last thirteen years locked up for a crime I didn’t commit?”

His lip turned upward, showing a dimple. She wanted to scream at the flip her stomach did.

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