Page 77 of Echoes of You

I didn’t say a word as I stalked toward the vehicle. Climbing in, I slammed the door. Lawson got in more calmly. He started the engine and reversed out of the drive. “That is exactly why I didn’t want to bring you. Do you know what would’ve happened if you’d hit him?”

“I’m sorry. I just—he hurt her.” My voice cracked. “She’s fucking terrified and broken, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it because I wasn’t there when she needed me. I promised her I’d always be there.”

Lawson pulled over to the side of the road and put the SUV in park. “There was no way you could’ve known this was happening.”

“I should’ve. She was different. Pulling away. I thought it was just because she was in this relationship. That she was leaving me behind.”

“That’s natural,” Lawson said. “People drift apart. Things change.”

Fire lit in my throat—the pain of the truth as it burned its way out of me. “I missed it before, too. Her dad was beating the crap out of her, and I missed every damn sign. He almost killed her, and I just let it happen. I swore to myself that no one would ever hurt her again. And here we are.”

“Nash,” Lawson said quietly. “Victims get good at hiding this kind of thing. That’s not on you.”

My gaze snapped in his direction. “I know her better than anyone. Knew she was alone in the world. I saw a few of those bruises and just thought she’d tripped. But I should’ve known she was lying. You know Mads is a shit liar.”

Lawson stared at me for a handful of seconds before he spoke. “Are you in love with her?”

Each pulse of my heart thundered in my ears. I’d never said the words out loud. Not once. “I’ve been in love with her since the moment she tripped that damn bully in kindergarten.”

“Why the hell haven’t you told her? You know she’s in love with you, too. Why are you torturing both of you?”

I turned to stare out the window. The mountain landscape with its peek of the lake was gorgeous, but it didn’t do anything to soothe my ragged edges. I knew Maddie was in love with me. It killed me that I couldn’t give her that. But it was the only way.

“She’s had so many people let her down. People who were supposed to love and care for her did the worst.”

“So don’t be that person,” Lawson pushed.

I turned to him. “You know I’m a screwup. I’d mess this up, too, and then what? Maddie would be alone. So, I swore to myself that I would never go there. It doesn’t matter that I feel her in me every moment of every day. It doesn’t matter that I want her more than my next breath. I can’t cross that line because I’m not going to risk losing her and leaving her alone.”

But I was weakening. There were cracks in the walls I’d so meticulously built to keep Maddie out. One carefully placed blow, and I’d be powerless to stay away…

25

MADDIE

“This isthe new spin I learned in ballet this week, Miss Maddie. Look, look!” Cady did a lopsided twirl that sent her red pigtail braids flying.

“That is amazing,” I said as I wiped down another table. “Maybe you can show me how when I’m done.”

Cady bobbed her head up and down. “I can totally-wotally show you! I tried to get my best friend, Charlie, to do class with me, but he says he doesn’t like ballet. You could do it, though!”

I chuckled at the image of me wearing a tutu in a ballet class with a bunch of five-year-olds. “Hey, is Charlie’s last name Hartley?”

She nodded her head enthusiastically as she twirled some more. “Charlie Landon Hartley. We’ve been best friends since the first day of kindergarten.”

My heart clenched at that. Would Cady fall head over heels for Nash’s nephew and have her little heart crushed if he didn’t feel the same?

Aspen grinned down at her daughter. “Never seen two kids ask for more play dates.”

I chuckled. “The Hartleys are good friends of mine. Charlie is the cutest and so nice.”

Aspen’s smile widened. “I’ve only met Charlie’s dad, Lawson, and Charlie’s two older brothers, but they seem great.”

“Lawson’s the best. Luke and Drew can be troublemakers, but they’re good kids.” I swiped my rag over the last table. “I think that’s it.”

“The kitchen is all clean, so I think we’re good to lock up,” Aspen agreed.

I looked over at her. “Thanks for coming back after picking up Cady. You really didn’t have to—”

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