Page 68 of The Love Syllabus

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Right… Well, I should be the one who’s mad. I had to salvage my business tonight all by myself.”

I whip my head in his direction and scoff, folding my arms across my chest. “Isalvaged your business, Victor Grimes. You were just there to flex your charm every now and then.”

“Mm,” he hums, stretching his long legs out like he owns all the space in the world. “And yet, here you are, sitting next to the most charming man you’ve ever met, treating him terribly.”

I make a face. “Your arrogance is repulsive.”

He smirks, leaning in just a little. “And so is your bluff.”

I dramatically huff, then turn back to the window, but Vic isn’t done with me. I can feel it. He’s quiet for a beat too long. Then his voice dips low and firm.

“Kerry.” He says my name like a command that demands my full attention.

I exhale slowly before finally looking at him.

“Tell me about your ex-husband.”

I stiffen, caught off guard by the sudden shift in our conversation.

Vic tilts his head as if he’s studying me, waiting for me to answer with the whole truth. “I don’t like him. Not after I met him, and definitely not after tonight.” His voice is steady and calm, but there’s a weight behind it. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. I don’t like the way he talks to you. I don’t like him being around you. And Idamn suredon’t like the way hethinkshe still has power over you.” His jaw clenches and fingers drum against his thigh. Then his eyes flicker to mine again, locking me in place. “I promise, I won’t let him or any man talk to you like that again.”

Vic speaks with intense conviction, and I just know he’s making a promise he intends to keep.

“I can handle Cory,” I declare, though it comes out weaker than I want.

His eyes darken. “You shouldn’t have to.”

I inhale as I’m caught between the truth in his words and the warmth spreading through my chest. I don’t know what to say, so I do the only thing that feels natural. I slide in a little closer, just slightly. Just enough to let his presence wrap around me.

Vic’s eyes flicker downward before returning to mine. He’s searching and waiting for me to open up.

So, I give him just enough.

I tell him about the little girl who grew up surrounded by love—a love so steady and unwavering that I never once doubted it. Parents who had been together since high school. Grandparents who spent a lifetime together, who danced in the kitchen well into their seventies. A town that felt like a family, where everyone knew your name, where love wasn’t just a feeling but a foundation.

Naturally, I wanted love too.

I wanted the fairytale I grew up in—the kind of love I saw in my parents’ faces and my grandparents’ intertwined hands. So, I let myself believe I found it when I met Cory in middle school and started dating him in high school. He was my prince, and I was his princess.

But after college, everything changed. When I grew into a queen, I was too powerful for him. I had too much potential. I was too loud. Too beautiful. Too ambitious. Too loved.

And he dideverythingin his power to break me down. I don’t go into the worst of it. I don’t tell Vic about the nights I spent curled up on the floor, feeling smaller than I’d ever felt in my life. I don’t tell him about the gaslighting, the manipulation, the way he made me question my own worth until I almost lost myself completely. I don’t mention the bruises.

I don’t need to. Because Vic gets it. I can see it in how his entire body tenses, and his fists clench like he’s trying to hold back something dangerous. He exhales sharply through his nose, jaw tight, nostrils flared.

And then, he moves. Not aggressively. Not forcefully. Just intentionally.

He drapes his strong arm across the back of the seat, right behind me, while his other hand grips my thigh—not too hard, not too soft, but just enough to make me feel the comfort and security he’s offering. He turns his head just enough to look me in the eyes, and his voice comes out low, deep, and steady.

“I don’t care what he tried to take from you, Kerry. He didn’t win. Look at you,” He pauses, his gaze trailing over me like he’s seeing and adoring the deepest parts of me all at once. Like he’s daring me to see myself the way he does. “You’re still standing and still too damn powerful for any man who isn’t strong enough to be with you. And I swear to God, as long as I’m around, no man,especiallynot him, will ever make you feel small again.”

I swallow hard, and my heart nearly slams against my ribs as his eyes flicker to my lips before meeting my gaze again. I nod. And for a moment, we sit there, locked in asilence that feels heavier than words. I don’t move. He doesn’t move. But every feeling and emotion inside us does.

When the truck slows to a stop in front of the house, Vic exhales and drags his hand from my thigh with great reluctance. He steps out of the car, moving with the same quiet authority he always carries, rounds the vehicle, and opens my door before I can reach for the handle.

I stare at him with a pounding heart as he extends his hand toward me.

“Come on, Ms. Kind,” he murmurs, voice rough yet impossibly gentle. “Let’s get inside.”

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