Page 109 of Luck of the Draw

Brennan loved her likethat. Keeping it to himself did nothing for her. It merely protected his own pride. It only guarded him from heartbreak he’d already survived twice. Hell, his fucking heart was already shattered right now anyway.

He drew in a deep breath and marched down the hall, embarking on the most important mission of his life.

He paused in the doorway. Sure enough, her little suitcase was open on the bed, and she was in the process of filling it with her clothes.

“Skye,” he began, “you don’t—”

“I don’t have any diseases, Brennan.” Her back was to him. He blinked like someone had spit in his face. “The only rule was that they had to use condoms, and I get tested regularly. If you’re worried about that, you don’t need to be.”

He was nearly speechless. “That’s not what I was about to say.”

She continued to fold her clothes and flatten them into the suitcase, adding nonchalantly, “I know you think I’m disgusting.”

His jaw clenched and released in reflex. “You are the furthest thing fromdisgusting.”

The statement hurled her into blind rage. She whipped around and hollered at the top of her lungs, “What in the hell is the matter with you?”

He said nothing.

She stomped her foot. “Tell me I’m disgusting.”

“I absolutely will not.”

Skye took an aggressive step toward him, eyes brimming, brows gathered, and teeth gritted. “Call me awhore, Brennan. Do it. I know you’re thinking it. I know your friends are thinking it. So go ahead.”

Brennan swallowed. The rims of his eyes were on fire. He knew they were brimming just like hers while she defiantly jutted her chin up at him.

Real love didn’t hurt.

Real love didn’t manipulate.

Real love required absolutely nothing, nothing,nothingin return.

Real love cared and hoped and supported and protected even when the person you loved turned right around and walk away.

Brennan loved her like that. And she needed to know. Not because it might cause her to love him back, but because it might help her understand that she was worthy of having every good thing the world had to offer. That she was worthy of having her feet firmly planted on solid ground, rather than being trapped in this miry pit. That she was worthy ofeverything.

If she understood that, just like Liza’s power pose, it just might give her the confidence boost to take her life by the horns. It just might help her see that the life she deserved was worth fighting for.

Even if he wished he could just hand it all to her on a silver platter.

“I love you, Skye.”

Tears spilled out of her eyes, and she growled from deep in the back of her throat. “I’ve heard that a million times before, and you left out the second part, which is to call me a worthless slut.”

“I know you’ve heard it before, but not fromme,” he clipped. “So hearme. I love you.”

She sneered up at him. “Call me filth. Call me disgusting. Slap my fucking face and call me worthless.”

“You’re not any of those things.” He stepped closer and angled his face over hers. “I love you.”

“Idon’tlove you.” Her chin trembled violently. Her face was contorted with such intense emotional anguish that she looked like she was in physical pain. “Just like your high school girlfriend doesn’t love you. Just like yourmarried frienddoesn’t love you.” She paused, and there was a pulse in her jaw that made it obvious she was trying to get a reaction out of him. She wasn’t going to get one. “They willneverlove you. Neither will I.”

“Obviously you were paying attention when I told you all of that, so I know you know that it doesn’t matter if they don’t love me.” His teary gaze flitted between her spilling blue eyes. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t either. I don’t need you to love me, Skye. You don’t have to. You don’t have to do anything. You don’t even have to stay here. But that is the truth. I love you. I’m not going to stop loving you. There’s not a goddamned thing in this whole world that I wouldn’t do for you, Skye. Everything you said out there only makes me want to do more.”

“You’re a lunatic!” A sob choked out of her. She stumbled backward from him and pitched forward at the waist. A deep, mournful wail escaped her throat. “I am so fucking angry!”

She dissolved into body-convulsing sobs and hiccups as she clutched her stomach. The only other time he’d seen a woman grieve like this was when Liza told him about her first baby and the utterly tragic circumstances that stole it from her. And he was at a loss. Words were suddenly pointless and meaningless.

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