Page 10 of The Ruthless and the Strong

The thought made me want to ram my fist into the wall.

She did feel light in my arms, and she felt way too fragile. As if she had spent the last six years not taking care of herself. Lizzie had always been on the lean side. But this felt different. As if she was slowly disappearing from my eyes, no matter how badly I wanted to hold onto her. My arms tightened around her at the thought, and I felt her finger playing at the ends of my hair while she relaxed more into me.

“Have you been back to see your parents?” I asked.

She looked down at the collar of my shirt. “No. I didn't even tell them Hunter and I are back in Chicago.”

I nodded, not needing her to say any more. Lizzie had been close to her parents growing up, especially her dad. I knew it was one of the things Olivia had been envious of Lizzie about, though I was sure she never told Lizzie that.

But from what Olivia had told me over the years, Lizzie’s relationship with her parents had changed since she got married, especially with her mom. I couldn’t say I blamed her for that. I knew Lizzie’s marriage to Sam had been her mom’s idea.

I worked hard to fight the anger from showing on my face. It wouldn’t be going too far to say her mom was to blame for the state of things between her and Lizzie, and between Lizzie and Sam.

She hadn’t been ready to marry. But at twenty, who was? I remembered her words to me on her wedding day. She didn’t deny it when I told her she didn’t love him. Because she hadn’t. She’d loved me.

Question was, did she still love me? And did I still want her to?

“Is that bad?” she asked after a while.

“What was that?”

“Do you think it’s bad that I’m not letting my mom know that Hunter and I are back?”

Our eyes met, and I looked at the golden flecks reflected in her eyes. “I think only you know what is good for you and Hunter. If that means waiting a bit before you let everyone know you’re back, then so be it. No, I don’t think it’s bad.”

She nodded, her fingers now playing on the skin at the back of my head. I didn’t think she was even aware that she was doing it. “Hunter’s been asking to see his grandparents, though.”

“Hunter is five. I’m sure he wants to see everyone.”

She smiled a little at that. “Oh, yeah. He’s been asking for you as well.”

I paused a bit in my steps in surprise. “He has?”

“Oh, yeah. He never forgot about the man who brought him a whole superhero set for Christmas.”

I smiled a little at that. “It’s been years. I’m surprised he still remembers that.”

She smiled back at me, and I tried not to let the effect that small smile had on me show on my face. “Well, you’re one of his favorite people.”

I nodded as something akin to satisfaction moved inside of me. I shouldn’t get too attached to Hunter. Or let him get attached to me. I still didn’t know what I was doing now that Lizzie was back and divorced.

I couldn’t be selfish with them.

We got back to the neighborhood then. Instead of bringing Lizzie back to Mason’s house, I headed toward my own. I felt her hands tighten around me. “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

“Back to my house,” I replied without looking at her.

“Max.”

“I need to check on your ankle. I don’t know if you need to go to the hospital, and I have some stuff to wrap it. It would make me feel better to take care of this for you.”

Voice soft, she said, “It’s not your job to take care of me.”

I wished it was.

We were silent on our way up the doorway, and I had her reach into my pocket for my keys, trying hard not to react to even the softest touch from her. I enjoyed the way she blushed as she did it.

I knew I could have easily put her down and reached for my own keys to open the door, but I didn’t want to let her go, not until I absolutely had to.

---