Page 73 of So Right
Chapter Fourteen
Luke gave up trying to finish his dinner. His folks had invited him over, but he’d declined. He was even more upset—and bewildered—about Kelsey than he’d been earlier in the day.
Her refusal of his flowers had stung. She hadn’t just declined them, she’d done the verbal equivalent of throwing them in his face. He hadn’t thought Paige showing up would be that damaging to their fledgling relationship, but then he wasn’t sure what to expect. Kelsey had tried to put on the brakes. She’d been honest about being hesitant. Maybe she just wasn’t ready.
Which sucked, because he was. If Paige dropping in had showed him anything, it was that Kelsey was different. Special.
He set his dishes in the sink, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and went to the living room to watch football highlights. He’d just turned onSports Centerwhen headlights flashed through the window as a car pulled into the driveway.
He set his beer on the coffee table and stood up. He walked over and peered through the blinds. It was Kelsey.
Anticipation thrummed in his chest. He’d hoped she would show up. Was she here to stay, or had she come to pick up her things? He’d find out in a minute.
He went back to the couch and sat down. He sipped his beer and tried to focus on the television. The lock on the front door clicked, and he tensed. He turned his head toward the door as she came inside.
She looked the same as earlier—her hair hanging loose and gorgeous, a light cranberry-colored jacket thrown over her long-sleeved V-neck tee and distressed jeans, and those sexy dark brown booties. Why they were sexy, he didn’t know. Maybe he just felt that way about everything to do with her.
“Hey.” She walked around the couch and moved into the living room.
He muted the sound on the TV. “Hey.”
She dropped her purse on the chair. “Mind if I sit with you?”
He sat in the middle of the couch, rather taking up the entire thing, so he scooted to the right. “Sure. I mean, I don’t mind.”
Her lips curved into a weak smile. “I knew what you meant.” She sat down, but on the edge of the couch. She clasped her hands together and rested them on her knees. “I wanted to explain about earlier. About the flowers.”
He turned the TV off and tossed the remote onto the table. Then he angled himself toward her, bringing his knee up onto the couch. “Okay.”
“First, I want to apologize. You couldn’t know this, but I have a problem with flowers. As in, I hate them. Please don’t ever give me a bouquet again.”
There was a vehemence and darkness to her tone that set off warning bells in his head. “Got it.” He wanted to ask why but sensed she was about to tell him.
She took a deep breath. The muscles in her jaw clenched. “Noah used to bring me flowers. After he hit me.”
Oh, fuck.Luke’s insides crumpled. He moved closer to her, but she held up her hand and shook her head. “Let me get this out.”
She took a deep breath, and he heard it catch, sounding like a shudder. He ached to touch her, but kept his hands to himself.
“I haven’t really told you about him. Not because I want to hide anything, but because it’s…difficult. We met in college, and honestly, for me, it was love at first sight, as corny as that sounds. He wasn’t abusive in the beginning.” Her expression softened, and Luke could see she was recalling happier times. He tried not to feel a stab of jealousy.
She went on. “I have a lot of good memories.” Her lips curved into a sad smile. “How else could I have stayed with him so long? At least, that’s what I tell myself.” She looked down at her lap. “It takes the sting from my shame.”
Emotion rushed through him—anger, frustration, concern, and anguish. He gently touched her chin and tipped her head up. “Hey, there’s no need to feel ashamed. I’m sure I have a lot to learn about abuse, but what I do know is that it wasn’t your fault. Not even staying with him for however long you did.” He cupped the side of her face.
She nuzzled her cheek against him. “Thank you. You’re right, and my brain knows that, but my heart, my soul…sometimes they forget.”
“I’m glad you told me a little about him.” He wanted to know more but was also a bit afraid. Luke already hated this man for everything he did know, for the pain he’d caused Kelsey. “And I will listen to whatever you want to share—now or in the future.”
Her gaze glowed with appreciation. “I don’t talk about him much. It’s not just that I don’t like to think of him—which I don’t—or the shame factor. It’s also the headspace. I spent a long time trying to dissect how I’d been so stupid and how I could’ve done things differently.” Her eyes darkened before she tipped her head down. “I wondered why I let him do that to me, why I didn’t retaliate. I thought of all the ways I should’ve hurt him in return.”
He grew agitated listening to the agony in her tone. He started thinking of all the ways he’d like to hurt the bastard. “It’s normal to want that.Iwant that. Well, not for you to hurt him,” he clarified. “Honestly, I’d like a shot at him. A man that would hit a woman deserves to suffer.”
Her head came up, her eyes wide. “Heissuffering, I hope. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t deserve to take up any part of my life. I gave him far too much.”
He saw the grit and determination in her gaze, in the tense set of her mouth. “I have such immense respect for you,” he said softly. “To think that you’ve worked through this and come out stronger on the other side.”
She let out a light laugh and straightened, causing him to drop his hand from her face. “I’m working on it. I still have issues. As you saw earlier.”
