Page 94 of Live Like Legends

The larger part of me knew that he wouldn’t. Unless I was in some type of imminent danger, this conversation would stay between us, almost like this weird friendship we had been slowly building was using this moment to define itself and continueto build on our previous foundation from our moment in Purgatory.

I fiddled with the bottom of Nick’s old shirt, the hem hitting right at mid thigh. “Have you ever felt like you were upset with someone for doing the right thing, but you know you shouldn’t because well, what they did wasn’t a bad thing, it wasn’t wrong, but somehow you still feel really fucking upset?”

Reese didn’t answer immediately, as if he was waiting to see if I had more to say.

“You can respond, you know.”

He blew out a breath. “Oh well I don’t know, the last time I interrupted a girl while she was spewing out her feelings I got yelled at, so I was just being polite.” He narrowed his eyes playfully, but then they returned back to their casually serious look. “I guess, maybe I’ve felt that way. That seems like a very specific toyousituation.”

“Oh, you think?” I said, sarcastically.

He lightly shoved my shoulder. “Go on.”

“This person, in their head and their heart, had no other option but to do what they did. Which again was a good thing, it was a…. heroic thing.”

“But you don’t think it was heroic?” Reese questioned, his eyebrows veering upward.

I shook my head. “Oh, no, it was. That’s the thing.”

“The heroism is the problem?” He scratched his head.

I pressed my face into my hands, clearly not explaining this right. It never sounded perfect in my head, so why thehellwould it sound fine out loud. I said my next words into my palms, muffling my voice. “No, no it’s not. Well, maybe it is.Fuck! I don’t know.” I lifted my face out of my hands and moved my curls to one of my shoulders. “It sucks not being able to help yourself, having to hide your strength for the sake of others and then someone swoops in and does all the things you couldn’t.”

I lifted my eyes to the ceiling. “And it sucks because they are a good person, thebestperson. They did what was right and you wanted them to find you, but you are left feeling like you aren’t strong enough to stand on your own somehow, like you’ll always be waiting for someone to…” I swallowed, letting out a deep breath. “Waiting for someone to save you.”

Reese’s eyes were pointed down as if he was in deep thought. I knew I had said too much, too soon. I knew this was a stupid fucking idea. I cleared my throat, wrapping one of my curls with my finger. “Just forget I said anything at all, okay?”

Reese chuckled softly; his eyes kinder than I’d ever seen them. “Dani, can I speak hypothetically?”

I raised one of my eyebrows. “Sure…”

He spoke with his hands as he weaved his words together. “Let’s just say there is a guy who has been hardwired to be a leader, always making a plan and fighting for those around him. And yes, we all understand how fucking annoying that kind of guy can be because he overanalyzes nearly every situation.” He rolled his eyes before looking at me again. “Hypothetically speaking of course.”

I nodded, slightly intrigued.

“Now, let’s fast forward and this guy just happens to fall in love with a girl who can clearly take care of herself, but being the guy that he is, well….” He trailed off, scratching at his jaw. He raised his finger up to me before I could speak. “This girl probably didn’t want to feel like an afterthought to everyone, but she might feel like people will view her like she’ll always need someone—specifically—this guy to help her. Again, hypothetically speaking, if I was her, I might feel a little like I’m weak from being made out as if I’m begging for assistance.” He peeked over at me the minute he heard my breath hitch.

My shoulders slumped when he caught my eye and I didn’t know what to say to him. The blonde angel tilted his head to theside almost like he was waiting for me to respond, or maybe he was fine with us just sitting in silence.

“Which you aren’t by the way,” he added, “begging for assistance I mean.”

I let out a small smile. “I thought we were speaking hypothetically.”

He rubbed his entire hand over his face. “Oh right. Shit.”

I shoved his shoulder. “Thanks though.”

Reese leveled me with a hard look that had my shoulders tensing. “Hypotheticals aside, you aren’t weak. I’m not asking you to explain anything about well,anything,but you aren’t weak no matter what anyone has told you or what you’ve been made to feel.” His eyes wandered towards the wound at my thigh. “Someone swooping down and removing you from a bad situation doesn’t change that.”

I scooted off the bed with a laugh, somehow feeling lighter and I wasn’t sure why. My next steps were halted when he continued. “You know just because you’re strong and can handle yourownshit, doesn’t mean you should. You’d be surprised by how much strength another person can give you. Especially when that person already knows how tough you are and they love you for it.”

I swiveled on my heels, placing my hands on my hips. “When did you get so profound, huh?”

He shook his head, scooting to the edge of the bed, so that his feet hit the ground. “Eh, I am highly underestimated.” He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “But, I might have heard variations of those things from Maurice growing up.”

“Sounds like good old Maurice.”

Reese pushed off the bed and nodded, rubbing his chin. “You still scare the hell out of me, if that’s any consolation.”

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