Page 46 of His Heart

I let them go.

I hated myself in that moment—more than ever before. Hated that I was too weak to face them. Hated that I’d let myself sink this low. I knew I couldn’t answer their questions. Where are you living now? With a bunch of guys in a band. Once in a while I let the singer fuck me so the others will leave me alone. What about a job? I get paid under the table to work at a shitty diner because the owner feels bad for me. Are you thinking about going back to school? I can’t, I flunked out and lost all my scholarship money.

The café next to me had a few outdoor tables. I slumped down in one of the chairs, leaving my bag at my feet, and took out my phone. I should at least text Mary. I didn’t want to make her worry any more than I already had. I’d just tell her I’d been called into work or something. It’s not like she’d know I was lying.

“Excuse me?”

The deep male voice startled me and I fumbled my phone, almost dropping it.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

The man standing in front of me was enormous. At five-foot-seven, I wasn’t short, but if I’d been standing, he would have towered over me. And he wasn’t just tall. The guy was built like a tank. Wide shoulders, broad chest, huge arms. He had dark hair and his square jaw was covered in a thick beard. And his eyes. Deep green in the center, fading to almost brown at the edges of his irises. They were so striking. He was striking.

I stared at him, but it was hard to look away. He looked familiar, like someone I should know but couldn’t place. But there was no way I’d met him before. I’d never forget a man like this.

“That’s okay,” I said. “Do you need something?”

“This is going to sound weird, but are you Brooke?” he asked.

I blinked at him. “Um, yes. How do you know my name?”

“I’m actually not sure,” he said. “I’m Sebastian McKinney. Maybe Mrs. Harper told you about me? I just had lunch with them.”

Holy shit. This was him? “Yeah, she did, but I, um… I couldn’t make it earlier.”

He nodded. “Yeah, it’s no problem. I just saw you over here and…”

“How did you know it was me?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “A feeling, I guess.”

I had no idea what to think about that. We stared at each other for a moment and I felt something stir deep inside. Maybe it was just curiosity. I’d thought I didn’t want to see this guy. But now that I was face to face with him, I wondered who he was. What he was like. Why he’d needed Liam’s heart.

And those eyes. They reached into me and took hold. A tiny spark lit inside of me, making my tummy tingle with what almost felt like nerves. It was so faint, it would have been easy to dismiss it as nothing. The stress of the day—or of my life.

But it was there. A glimmer.

“That’s weird,” I said.

He smiled. It softened his eyes and took the intimidating edge off his demeanor. “It is weird. Sorry, I’m not a psycho or anything.”

“Are you sure? Because that seems like something a psycho would say to convince people they’re not.”

“That’s a good point. But last I checked I’m pretty safe.” He glanced around the street. “Listen, can I buy you a cup of coffee or something? Or lunch, if you’re hungry. If you can’t, or don’t want to, it’s fine. I’ll go and leave you alone.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want him to go, and I couldn’t explain why. “Sure, coffee, I guess.”

He smiled again and gestured to the café. “In here? Or do you want to go somewhere else?”

“Here is fine,” I said.

I got up and he held the door for me. We went inside and I picked a table near the front. I felt like I needed a clear path to the exit in case this got weird. A waitress came and took our orders—coffee for me and an unsweetened iced tea for him—and left.

He blew out a breath. “I don’t know about you, but this weather is freaking me out. I’m not used to it being this hot in April.”

“I guess I’m used to it,” I said. “And I don’t think your beard helps.”

He rubbed his bearded jaw. “Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s perfect for winter in the Midwest, though. So, did you grow up here?”

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