Page 111 of Never Your Girl

She shakes her head, her hair tumbling around her face. “This has nothing to do with trust. It’s about—” She stops herself, pressing her lips together like she’s afraid to let the truth out. When she speaks again, her voice is quieter, back under control. “It’s about trying to protect people. And that includes you.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snap. “You’re not protecting me. You’re keeping me in the dark. And it’s driving me insane because I can’t stop wanting you, even when I’m not sure if I can trust you.”

Her eyes widen slightly, and for a moment, the tension shifts. There’s a trace of something softer in her gaze, something that makes my chest ache.

“Do you think this is any easier for me?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m afraid you might not forgive me once you find out the truth.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut, and I take a step back, trying to process what she’s saying. “Then why not just tell me now? Let’s get everything out in the open.”

“Because sometimes the truth does more damage than the lies,” she says quietly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And I don’t want to hurt you.”

I shake my head, the frustration and helplessness bubbling over. “You’re already hurting me. Every time I see you, every time I feel whatever this thing is between us, it hurts. Because I want to trust you. I want to believe in whatever this is. But you’re not giving me a choice in the matter.”

For a moment, she looks like she might crumble before she sucks in a deep breath and straightens. Her expression hardens into something almost defiant. “You’re right,” she says softly. “You don’t have a choice.”

“That’s not good enough,” I fire back, my voice cracking. “Not for me.”

Her eyes fill with something I’m unable to name as she takes a step in retreat. Her palm falls away from my chest, drifting back to her side. “You want the truth?” she whispers, her voice trembling. “Here it is. I care about you. More than I ever thought I would. And that scares the shit out of me because I don’t know how to make this better without breaking both of us in the process.”

The honesty in her words hits me like a freight train, and for a moment, I can’t speak. My hands itch to reach for her, to pull her close and erase the space between us, but I hold back. “I don’t know how to do this,” I admit. “But I know I don’t want to walk away from you.”

“Then don’t.” There’s a pause as she pleads with me. “Just... don’t.”

Her words linger in the air between us, tenuous and full of unspoken promises. I reach out, my hand brushing against hers, and for the first time, she doesn’t pull away.

It’s in no way a resolution.

But it’s something.

And for now, it has to be enough.

35

Holland

The sun filters through the tree branches as Willow and I stroll across campus. Students mill about, rushing to classes or lingering in groups on the lawn. Even though it’s a beautiful day, my mind remains clouded, burdened by the secrets I’m carrying.

Ones I never asked to know.

Ones that have made my relationship with Bridger even more complicated than before.

“I have some news.” Willow’s voice breaks through the turmoil of my thoughts. “Maverick asked me to move in with him next year.”

I stumble and nearly trip over my own feet. If I was looking for a distraction to pull me out of my head, that bomb does the trick. “You’re kidding.”

Her grin widens as a touch of nervousness flashes in her eyes. “Nope. He brought it up last night. Since you’ll be graduating in the summer, I think I’m going to do it.”

“Wow.” I blink, still trying to process this new phase of their relationship. “Things are really moving quickly between you two.”

She glances at me. “Too quickly?”

I shake my head and give her a small smile. “For most people? Maybe. But you two have this thing… like you’ve known each other forever. Maybe I was skeptical of your hotshot hockey player at first, but Maverick has proven himself. He’s solid. He gets my official stamp of approval.”

The tension in her shoulders eases and her smile turns softer. “I love him.”

“I know you do,” I say, looping my arm through hers and pulling her close. “It’s written all over your face when you’re together. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve all the happiness he can offer. And, hey, even Becks has backed off. I didn’t think that was going to happen during our lifetime.”

“Speaking of Mom, she stopped over the other day to do a surprise deep clean and opened all the windows to get a little fresh air in the townhouse now that the weather has turned warmer.”

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