Page 283 of Dark Love

“It had to be Fea. Of course, it had to be Fea,” Max mutters. His hand goes into his hair, and he tugs on one of his curls. “Hope, how about you do an internship at my company? We have coffee shops in every one of the offices. You can take your pick.”

“Why? Fea is really nice.” Hope stares at her dad with assessing eyes.

“Wait, you both know Fiona.”

“Long story. Let’s go Hope. We don’t want to make Prue late for work.”

“But Dad—”

With one look from him, her mouth shuts and they’re out the door as fast as they came in.

She’s brave.

Hope is just a child, and she’s ready to take on the world.

Here I am afraid to tell my mother about my boyfriend.

I’m a coward.

My mother loves me. She’ll love Vex too once she gets to know him…

But I don’t know him. I know his heart, but fear has kept me from asking anything more about him.

He’s a good man.

Then why are you afraid to ask about his childhood?

Or what he does now?

You know the world sees him as a criminal.

Why keep hiding from the reality of who he is?

Because I’m a coward, who’s afraid of everything.

***

“Dahl, I’m home.”

You are brave.

You can do this! I march to the front door. “We need to talk.”

“Is something wrong?”

“We need to talk.”

“Okay, let’s talk.” Vex yanks his tie off.

That man is so sexy. Don’t get distracted. You’re not going to keep hiding from your future. I take his hand. “Not here.”

“Dahl?”

You’re brave. “It’ll be okay. No matter what happens, I love you.”

Vex reaches out and one minute I’m walking up the stairs, the next I’m wrapped in his arms, staring up into his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m a coward.”

---