Page 88 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

“What about you? Areyouokay?” I ask.

He’s all bruised up, with a cut on his cheekbone and another one on his mouth. The cut on his bottom lip has been deepening with each of his smiles, and while he’s done a very good job pretending like it doesn’t hurt, I see through his act.

He shrugs. “Eh, I got off easy. I’m pretty sure I broke that guy’s ribs.”

I scoot closer to him on the bed. “Still. Looks like it hurts.”

TJ stares me dead in the eye, and says, “What hurt was watching them take you away in that ambulance.”

My mouth hangs open. Adorable TJ is back at it again, and call me weak, but I’m too tired to resist him right now.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” he adds.

I furrow my brow. “What? Why?”

He directs his focus to my neck, staring at the stitches indicating how close I came to meeting my maker tonight. Then he exhales a sharp breath, taking his thumb to my throat and slowly running the pad of his finger inches below the gash.

A jolt of need tears through my entire body, goose bumps rising to the surface of my arms at his touch.

Our gazes lock, but he doesn’t remove his hand, keeping it there, right next to a wound he obviously feels responsible for. My heart flutters when he whispers, “He shouldn’t have been able to hurt you. I shouldn’t have let him.”

He can’t seriously be beating himself up for this.

“Hey, you havenothingto apologize for. You were a little tied up trying to save my sister’s life.”

He gives a small nod, but he doesn’t seem convinced.

“I’m the one with regrets. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been a terrible guardian.”

“You’re not a terrible guardian. You’re human. There’s a difference.”

I scoff. “Please, my dad definitely rolled over in his grave tonight.”

“You do realize this is your first time experiencing life, don’t you?”

His comment gives me pause.

“Just like it was your dad’s first time being a parent.”

I never thought about it this way.

He’s right, though. We tend to put our parents up on a pedestal and assume they know everything about everything when in reality, they’re just normal people experiencing parenthood for the first time. I’m sure he also had moments where he doubted himself or felt like a complete failure.

“There’s no manual for becoming a parent at eighteen, Lacey. You’re being way too fucking hard on yourself.”

Maybe it’s the exhaustion or leftover emotion from what we’ve been through, but his kind words bring tears to my eyes.

My throat becomes clogged with guilt. “I… I just feel like I’m letting him down somehow.”

He winces when I start crying, the first tear coursing down my cheek. “Fuck, I didn’t mean to… Come here.”

He opens his arms for a hug, and I immediately scoot closer to sink into his embrace. It feels strangely natural. Me resting my head against his chest, him propping his chin on top of my head. It’s like second nature. And it’s terrifying.

I let out a small laugh and wipe my face with the back of my hand. “It’s not you. I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s up with me tonight.”

His arm closes around my shoulders, his touch packing a ridiculous amount of warmth and comfort. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know what I’m doing half the time either.”

Wow, I’mbeing so self-centered right now.

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