Page 67 of My Damaged Protector

When I'm all alone again, I drain my first glass of the tea and pour myself another one. I take a sip and place the glass down.

Throwing a pillow at the edge of the sofa I'm seated on, I position it well and then lie down.

My head barely rests on the pillow before the thought comes. It is sure going to be a long night.

Allowing the thoughts to flow freely, I mull over the possibility of me loving Sarah.

I've known her for a while. She's the only woman I've ever been stuck on, allowed myself to worry my head over or even think about having more than just sex with.

While I'm not a womanizer, I don't make a habit out of keeping in touch with the women I sleep with. I don't have the time.

But for Sarah, it's different. With Sarah, it's different.

Does that mean I love her?

A vibrating sensation starts to happen in my pocket, and I sit up to remove my phone before it starts to ring. I pick up the call just as the first tone belts out.

It's Richard.

“Hello?”

“You can come back to work,” he grumbles, surprisingly the hell out of me.

“What?” I bark in surprise, shooting from my seat. “How?”

“Well, your heroic action of going into a burning building against my command to save a dog was recorded and posted, and the whole town loved it. You're the talk of the county, and I can't have anyone noticing that you're no longer on the squad thereby bringing bad publicity to the station, so you can have your job back.”

Wow.

“Richard, I don't know what to say.”

“Don't say anything. Get your ass here tomorrow.”

He ends the call before I can say anything else, and I remain standing thinking of what I'm going to do now.

On the one hand is Sarah, who I'm not certain that I love but know that I care about. She needs me right now. I don't even know what she's running from apart from the media and the extent to which that can damage her.

And then on the other hand is my job, which I happen to be very certain that I love.

What do I choose?

Can I really leave Sarah and go back to my job?

And can I pass up the opportunity for what I've been begging to get back for a while now?

20

SARAH

SayingI didn't hear Ian trying to get information from my aunt as I was about to enter my room here would be a lie, but I close the door behind me and leave her to handle it.

I know I can trust her to keep my secrets for however long I need her to.

She's been like a mother to me since my mom passed. Always shielding me and making sure that no harm comes to me.

Sighing, I enter farther into the room and begin to shed my clothes.

It's been a long day. An even longer drive. It's a wonder I didn't lose my mind.

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