Page 12 of When We Burn

“I probably shouldn’t tell you all this.”

“You should have told me this yearsago.”

I shake my head mournfully. I can still hear my father’s words. Even after so much work with my psychologist, some of his words still creep in.“You’re worthless. You’re nothing. No one gives a shit about you.”

“I had no self-esteem, Bridger. I had no confidence in myself, and I believed her.Of course, you wouldn’t like me back. I was just…me.”

“I did like you.” His voice is still quiet, and my eyes fly to his. Tense. He seems so tense, and it’s scary how handsome he looks, even when he’s broody.“Why do you think that, even though I knew you were too young for me, and if I started something with you I could get into a lot of trouble, I still talked to you?”

He was interested. In me?

“Oh, that’s really sad.” It’s the only thing I can think to say, because it’s the absolute truth. “But then I left. And you met her, and she got pregnant.”

“Yeah, she did, and I knew right away that she was absolutely not the woman I’d want to spend my life with, but she was pregnant, and we did the right thing. Almost immediately after Birdie was born, she started staying out all night, shut me down completely, and hardly paid Birdie any attention. I’ve pretty much been a single father since day one.”

“That really sucks.”

He pulls in a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Dani. For all of it.” His voice is so quiet, and his words are a balm to my heart that I didn’t know I needed.

I rest my palms on the concrete, grounding myself, and stare up at the stars. “Me, too. I’m glad she’s gone from your life, and I won’t apologize for that. She was horrible, and she would have been a really crappy mom, and Birdie deserves so much more than that.”

“I know.” He turns onto his side, facing me, and links his other hand with mine, lacing our fingers, and now my heart speeds up all over again. “She gave up her rights, and we haven’t heard from her since the day she left. That doesn’t mean she hasn’t come to town; we just don’t hear from her.”

I give his fingers a squeeze. “Birdie’s amazing, you know.”

“I know.” I’m still not facing him, and I don’t lookhis way because now I’m out of my element, and I don’t know what to do. “Look at me.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

He chuckles and squeezes my hand. “Because why?”

I press my lips together. Finally, I turn my head and meet his gaze.

“I feel like a piece of shit.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Bridger. Do you still want me to have Birdie’s class changed?”

“I never wanted you to do that.”

I nod as relief rushes through me. “Good. I like her. She’ll be fun in class.”

“Dani, about today.” He frowns, and his fingertips brush over my cheek, and it sends a shiver down my whole body, waking up the nipples that had just calmed down. “You jumped into the water.”

I swallow hard as the terror from those few seconds settles around me again. “Don’t remind me.”

“Thank you for that.”

“You already thanked me.”

“Yeah, but I know how fucking hard that was for you, and I don’t want you to have nightmares from it, sweetheart.”

I lick my lips and swallow again, because he just called mesweetheart,but then plaster on a brave smile.

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