Page 43 of Rescuing Nathaniel

Leaning down, he touched his lips to her forehead.

Let them linger there for longer than he should.

Long enough for him to feel her mother’s irritation growing.

When he knew he couldn’t drag it out any longer, Nathaniel straightened. “Goodbye, Aves. I’m glad I was there that night. You have your whole life ahead of you and deserve the world.”

Unfortunately, he just couldn’t give that to her.

As he walked out her door, he could have sworn he heard her whisper, “I deserve to live my life the way I choose not someone else.”

She wasn't wrong.

But in this he wasn't either.

One day she’d see that.

He hoped, he prayed, because if not, he might have made the biggest mistake of his life.

CHAPTER11

March 5th

11:46 A.M.

It feltlike it was happening almost around her rather than inside her.

Ava watched with a sort of detachment as the panic bubbling under her skin got stronger.

Being back home was supposed to make everything better. She was supposed to be safe here, happy, and able to start healing.

Only it felt like the opposite was happening.

While she’d been held prisoner on that ship, she’d known the only chance she stood at escaping, no matter how small it may be, was if she kept a clear head. Her life depended on her ability to shut off her fear, to bottle it away in a place deep inside her where she didn't have to feel it.

Turned out you could only do that for so long before it just came bursting out anyway.

That was how she felt right now.

Seconds away from exploding.

It didn't help that Nathaniel hadn't come back to see her after her parents had scared him away. She’d managed to get his number from Chelsea. Thank goodness her friend was a romantic at heart because as soon as she’d asked, Chelsea’s gray eyes lit up with excitement and she’d immediately gone and tracked down the SEAL’s number.

Not that it had done any good.

He hadn't answered her call, and he hadn't responded to her text. Not wanting to come off as too desperate and needy she hadn't tried again. In the end, just because she felt the stirrings of something for him, and just because she would have sworn he felt it, too, didn't mean she could force him to want to do anything about it.

Nor would she want to.

But she did know that having him there would help. He grounded her, centered her, and kept a hand on the lid of her bottled-up emotions.

Only he wasn't there, and neither were Chelsea or Teresa.

Yep, her parents had scared her friends away as well.

Well, not scared them away, but they had made it so unpleasant and uncomfortable for everyone that after only half an hour last night, her friends had made their excuses and headed home.

How desperately she wanted to go with them.

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