Page 77 of Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia 1)

I nodded, swallowing thickly.

“Olivia,” he pleaded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s my burden to bear,” I whispered.

“No, it’s not,” he growled, sitting up and pulling me on his lap. He gently probed the back of my skull and I winced again. “No one should ever have to endure something like this.”

“He’s never hurt me physically before-”

Trace put a hand over my mouth, his eyes steely. “Do not make excuses for that bastard. He hurt you. I remember what you said about your dad, and I’m sure he hurt you more than just physically, while you were home.”

I nodded.

Trace closed his eyes and swallowed. “I can’t stand the thought of anyone hurting you in any way. I don’t even know the man but I want to hunt him down and rip him apart. I want him to hurt worse than he’s hurt you.”

I burrowed against his warm, still naked chest.

His hands rubbed up and down my back comfortingly. “Does he hurt your mom?”

I pulled back. “Verbally? All the time. Physically? I-I think so. I saw bruises on her arm this time,” I bit my lip to hold back tears. “She didn’t mean for me to see them but when I was leaving to come back to school, she reached out to hug me and her sleeve slid up. They-they were in the shape of fingerprints,” I swallowed.

Air hissed through his teeth. “Why doesn’t she leave?”

“Fear,” I replied instantly. “My dad’s highly respected in our small town. He’d paint her in a bad light if she left and everyone would believe him. But to be honest with you,” I swallowed thickly, “I’m afraid that if she did try to leave him, he’d get angry enough to kill her. His temper is…volatile.”

“I’m so sorry you’ve had to grow up in a household like that, if I could change it for you, I would,” he pressed his forehead against mine, our noses brushing together.

“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you,” I whispered, cupping his cheeks, stubble rubbing against my palms. I forced a smile, and added, “Even if I was here, we probably still wouldn’t have met. Things happen for a reason, Trace, and it’s usually so we can find greater things in life. There can’t be good without bad and vice versa. I wouldn’t wish away my life, because then I wouldn’t be here, and I think here is a pretty good place.”

His soft chuckle shook my body lightly.

“How about I reword that?” He asked rhetorically. “I wish you didn’t have to grow up with a dad like that, but I don’t regret meeting you. I don’t regret anything with you,” he lifted one of my hands from his cheek and kissed my palm. “I wish I could take your pain away, but I would never wish you away.

“That makes me happy,” I murmured.

“All I ever want to do is make you happy,” his hands rubbed up and down my back. “I never want to see you frown or cry because of me.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t know you could be serious.”

He chuckled. “It’s rare, but it happens.”

I sobered. “I’m sorry for pestering you about Aubrey, I just…I needed to know.”

“I understand,” he sighed.

I didn’t want us to dwell on his ex, so I grinned, “You played baseball?” I asked, remembering him mentioning that he had quit after his dad died.

He groaned, banging his head lightly against the wall. “Yeah.”

“I bet you looked cute in that uniform,” I ran a finger over his collarbone.

He pretended to be angry. “Cute? Baby, I was hot in that uniform.”

“Hmm,” I hummed. “Is that something I might see?”

He smirked. “I might be able to make that happen.”

c h a p t e r

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