Page 101 of When We Burn

“Dani. Look at me.”

My eyes find his, and he’s not angry with me at all.

“Say what to who?” he asks again.

“When we were at the concert.” I lick my lips, and I want to close my eyes again, but he’s holding me firmly in place, keeping his gaze on mine. “I thought I saw her there. It was a split second, and I would have sworn I sawher in the crowd, but then she was gone, and I thought I was seeing things, and then we were dancing and kissing, and I didn’t give it another thought, but I should have said something, because?—”

“Breathe.” He tips his forehead to my own and drags his hands up and down my arms. “Baby, there were more than ten thousand people at that event. It’s likely she was there, but you didn’t do anything wrong.”

My eyes fill at that because it feels like I did do something wrong.

“You didn’t. This is a free country, and Angela can come in and out of town as she pleases. And she does. This isn’t the first time she’s been around, but itisthe first time that she’s tried to see my daughter, and that pisses me off. It makes me irate that she scared Birdie and you. That you had to deal with her at all. She has no right to Birdie, at any time, and my attorney is filing a restraining order with the court right now, before they leave for the day. He assures me that after what she pulled at the school, it won’t be denied.”

“Good.” My shoulders sag a little. “That’s good. I’m sorry. Wait, where’s Birdie?”

“My parents are here.” He winces. “It’s bad timing, but they just got to town and they wanted to see her, so they’re hanging out with her right now while I check on you.”

“You should go hang out with your family, Bridge. I’m okay. Actually, maybe I’ll go to my place for a while and unwind a bit. I could use some alone time.”

“No.”

His voice is hard, andnowhe looks mad.

“What? Why not?”

“Because you’re not alone, and you’ll never be alone again. If you need to fall apart, you’ll do it with me, and then we’ll put the pieces back together as a team. If you’re pissed or sad or hurt, you’ll tell me and let me help you. I don’t want you running away from me, kitten. I’m the one you always ran to before, and that’s how it’s going to be now.”

Without another thought, I move into him, wrap my arms around his neck, and hug him so tightly that there isn’t a millimeter of space between us.

“My mom asked to take Birdie out for dinner,” he murmurs in my ear. “And I’m going to let her so you and I can talk.”

“Bridge, I?—”

“Let me do this. We both need it.”

With a deep sigh, I nod, and he pulls back, wiping the tears off my cheeks I didn’t even realize had fallen.

“You get dressed, and come out whenever you want.”

“Okay.” My voice is a whisper, and he kisses the top of my head so tenderly, it makes me swoon.

Once the door is closed behind him, I wiggle into the leggings and then pull his T-shirt over my head and tie it in a knot at my waist, then I walk out to the living room in time to see his parents pulling out of the driveway, and I join Bridger at the door, waving at them.

“Were they mad?” I ask as I wrap an arm around his waist.

“No, they completely understood, and they’rethrilled to have Birdie all to themselves.” He lifts me in his arms, sits in the corner of the couch, and cuddles me to him. “Now, about what Angela said to you.”

My head comes up. “Wait, you heard that?”

“Most of it.”

“Look, it’s nothing that she hasn’t said to me before when we were kids.”

“For fuck’s sake.”

“Well, that’s not true. The last part about me begging you was new, but the rest?—”

He growls, and I look up at him. He’s somadon my behalf that it makes me lean up and kiss his cheek.

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