Page 55 of Fearless Protector

“I just want to help,” He reached over and massaged her shoulder a couple of times.

“You can,” she gulped, dabbing again at her eyes. “Take me to the airport. Let me go. I’m not ready to be yours. I don’t have this sorted out yet and I’m not sure I ever will. But you caring about me, isn’t enough to fix me. In fact, it makes me feel worse.”

“How?” he asked, a desperation in his voice.

“I don’t know. It just does. Your feelings for me don’t heal me; they remind me of everything I’m not. I just need to go. Do you think you love me?”

“I do,” he said, squeezing her shoulder again. “I know I do.”

“Then please let me go so this can stop hurting. I was managing before you came around and I know if I can go start fresh somewhere I can be all right again.”

Cleo knew he was searching for some argument. A way to make the tides turn. But he was coming up empty and she was glad for it.

“I’ll take you wherever you want to go,” Nick said stoically. “I promised you I’d make sure nothing hurt you. I guess I need to include myself in that.”

“I’m so sorry, Nick,” she said, covering his hand with hers. “I wish I could get over this.”

“I wish you could too. But I never want to be the reason you’re crying. Even if it hurts me to see you go.”

“And that’s why you’re the best man I’ve ever known and the hardest one I’ve ever had to leave.”

CHAPTERTWENTY

Nick

“You have to just drop it,” Carter said, his voice on the other end of the line sounding sympathetic. “She told you what she needed and she left. It sucks but—”

“Do not under any circumstances listen to this man,” Ronnie cut in. “Cleo is hurting and scared. The feelings she has for you are bowling her over and she ran. Go after her.”

“I can’t,” Nick said, resting his head on the steering wheel. “It’s killing her to have to face me, and I won’t do that to her again. She’s leaving for Portland in the morning. I left her at the hotel. It’s not a matter of chasing her.”

Ronnie grunted her disapproval. “Fine if you aren’t going to chase her you need to do something else. I don’t believe for a second that the decision she made at fourteen should haunt her for the rest of her life. Her family honestly sounds like a bunch of assholes and she’s spent all these years punishing herself for that. You can’t let that stand.”

“I feel like anything I do will make it worse.” Nick closed his eyes tight and tried to conjure up some path forward.

“Doing nothing will make it worse,” Ronnie replied firmly. “Maybe you should confront her brother. At least then she knows you are fighting for her.”

“Funny you should suggest that,” Nick replied through a breathy laugh. “I’m parked outside of his house.”

“Nick,” Carter cut in nervously. “You do not have enough information to just interject yourself like this. The family was clearly rough around the edges. Mixed up in drugs and guns. It’s risky.”

Ronnie sighed. “He’s not wrong, but it’s her twin brother. I can’t imagine after all these years he wouldn’t want to try to repair things. And if he doesn’t, tell him to go to hell and rip into him the way Cleo should.”

“I’m going to,” Nick asserted, his hand on the car door. “Thank you both for talking this through with me. I don’t want to lose Cleo.”

“Be careful man,” Carter said. “Call us after and let us know how it goes.”

“Will do.”

“Kick him in the nuts for me,” Ronnie said, before they disconnected the call.

This was the part he wished Cleo could see. The friends she made who were up in arms about her broken heart and willing to go around ball-kicking for her if needed.

The house was small and set atop a steep set of steps. Nick left his car running in case he had to make a quick exit. After he knocked, he stepped back down a few steps to give himself some space from the door.

“Yeah?” a guy called through the door and then opened it slightly. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Bo?” Nick asked, his arms folded around his chest.

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