Page 38 of Safe With Me

“So that is the full story. I didn’t mean to lie to your father. I guess I technically didn’t. I really didn’t have a job, but I neededto work somewhere and I didn’t want him to be afraid to hire me.”

“My father has done nothing but sing your praises. He’d be worried about you, not judge you. The only reason I’d say to tell him is so he’s aware if this guy ever found out where you live and work.”

“I don’t think Ted knows where I am. I deleted my social media accounts, and my parents promised not to share my new cell number or tell my brother Doug where I was. They don’t even know my address, which is pretty terrible when you can’t even let your parents know where you live,” she said, huffing out a humorless laugh.

“I tried to make it difficult to track me, but other than changing my entire identity, this was the best I could do in a short amount of time.”

I didn’t want to betray her trust, but I was tempted to talk to Jude at the station about how we could protect her from this guy if he ever found her. She had no restraining orders on file, but filing one now would only lead him right to her.

There wasn’t much I could do other than watch her like a fucking hawk, and I knew she wouldn’t want that.

“But while it was weird starting over, I felt safe here. Then when Jared grabbed me by the wrist and said he just wanted to talk, like Ted said a million times, I was right back there again. It wasn’t the same, and at any other point in my life, I probably would have just laughed it off, but I froze.”

She let her head fall back and rubbed her eyelids.

“That is something I’m going to have to work on. I can’t freak out over everything, and I’m sorry you’ve been the one to see it.”

“Again, stop apologizing, Lila. I’m sorry you went through all that, but I appreciate you telling me.”

“Well, it was either that or you were going to bring me into the station,” she said, the corner of her mouth twitching.

“I would never do that. I was worried about you.”

“Thank you.” She sent me a small smile as she squeezed my hand again. “But everybody’s got something, right? And I have to learn that flat tires and jerks in bars are just that. I can’t let Ted terrorize me anymore. If I do, what was the point of coming here in the first place?”

“I think you’re pretty brave.”

I smiled at the blush staining her cheeks, but it was the truth. She was dealing with the trauma from what had happened to her, but she was courageous enough to leave and start over in a new place where it wouldn’t define her.

I was in awe of her in so many ways, and it was messing with my head so much I didn’t even recognize my own thoughts or myself.

“I don’t know about brave, but thank you. And I’m relieved you know and that at least you don’t think I’m some kind of crazy person on the run. And Claudia knows most of the story if you ever needed her to vouch.”

“I don’t need Claudia to vouch for you. I believe you, and I would never let anything happen to you. He’ll never bother you again. Not on my watch.”

I cringed when her eyes bugged out for a minute. “Not that I’m watching you,” I tried to clarify. I was showing too many cards to this girl tonight and needed to keep all these confusing feelings to myself. “I’m just saying?—”

“I know what you’re saying.”

She shot me a sweet smile that eased my frayed nerves.

“And it helps. You know, I was thinking tonight how nice it was to have a real friend here. I have Ally back in Philly, but most of my other ones kind of scattered, for which I didn’t blame them too much.”

“Then they weren’t friends to begin with.”

“Probably.” A wry grin played on her lips. “You’ve been coming to my rescue since we met. Is that what all cops do? Save girls like me?”

Only the lucky ones.

“Being a cop had nothing to do with helping you with your tire or getting you home tonight.”

Her gaze roamed my face, and I spied more than gratitude in her eyes. Or maybe it was just my own misplaced longing reflected at me.

A longing that had come out of nowhere and grew with every second we shared the same space.

“I know,” she whispered, so low I could barely hear. Her gaze locked with mine, and it made the air that much heavier between us.

“But I’ll let you get some sleep.” I stood, my eyes still on Lila’s as I eased toward the door. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

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