Page 117 of Forbidden Hearts
Fuck it. She’s sick and alone. I’m not staying here to drink beer, knowing that she doesn’t feel good.
“I’m going to the house, can Liv stay here?”
Brynlee smiles. “Of course! Please make sure she’s okay. She isn’t answering my texts.”
So, it’s not just me.
“I’ll be back,”I tell Liv.
My legs yearn to break into a run, wanting to get to her in case she needs me, but I force myself to walk away at a reasonable speed. Then I get on the quad and drive to my house a bit faster than normal.
I go in through the back door, trying to keep quiet in case she’s resting. Only, when I reach the hallway that leads to both our bedrooms, I hear her crying.
She’s not quiet, and the agony in her cries are enough to break my own heart. I don’t knock before I push her door open, but then I freeze in the threshold. Her head jerks up, tears are flowing down her face, her nose is bright red, and the pain in her gaze is bone deep.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
Phoebe wipes at her face. “No.”
“No what?”
“I’m not ready.”
“Phoebe, ready for what?”
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be with your family at the bonfire, having fun.”
I move to her side, taking her face in my hands. “Clearly not. I should be here—with you. I was worried about you, and rightfully so.”
Another tear falls, and her lip quivers. “Please, just go back to Brynn’s and pretend you never saw this.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Like I could leave her now? Not a chance in hell. I pull her into my arms, holding her to my chest. “What is wrong? Who or what is making you cry?”
“Please don’t ask that.” She shifts off my lap. “Please don’t touch me. I don’t deserve it.”
“Why? What is going on, Phoebe?”
She looks so broken, so sad, and I will do anything to take that from her. Instead of telling me, she gets to her feet and starts to pace. “I need time, Asher. I need to figure things out...please. Don’t ask me what’s wrong. Don’t look at me like you want to make it better. Don’t make me want you more than I already do! This is all hard enough.”
Fuck, it’s me that’s hurting her, although I don’t know what I’ve done. “Phoebe.”
She spins to face me. “Don’t say my name like that.”
“Like what?” I ask, confused because I hadn’t said her name any specific way.
“Like you care about me. Like you would protect me.”
“I do care about you! Fuck, I would do anything for you!” I take her hands in mine. If I’m holding a small part of her then she can’t walk away from me. “I would do anything,” I say softly this time, gentle. “I care about you too much. I want you. I fucking need you, and I will protect you with everything I am. Talk to me.”
“No. We have an agreement.”
“Fuck the agreement. It doesn’t matter.”
That agreement went to shit the minute I got on a plane, and that weekend with Phoebe changed everything. I was enough for her, and she was everything for me. We have a million obstacles, all of them complicated and messy, but she’s worth it.
“You say that now, but you don’t mean it. You have Olivia, and I’m a mess. I’m a mess who will just screw up your life.”
I shake my head. “What the hell is going on? When you left this morning, you were perfectly happy, and we had plans for tonight. I don’t understand what changed. Did they find out about us? Did someone say something?”
