Page 31 of Fools in Love

“You know?” A small smirk appeared.

“Yeah. Which was why I was giving you twenty-four hours to pull your shit together before I reached out.” I stood up from the chair, my body hovering over his in some sort of power move that made me feel like I was in control. “But then you had to go and get yourself hit by a car. Who gets hit by a car?” I rolled my eyes. “As if your job isn’t dangerous enough.”

He reached out for my hand and held it tight. I wasn’t sure if it hurt him to do that or not, but he didn’t let go as he looked at me.

“I got spooked,” he whispered, like he was trying to figure out exactly what his issues were when it came to us.

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t understand the way your head works?” I tapped the side of my head with a finger for emphasis.

He’d confessed things to me, told me about his recent past, and let me see his heart. I understood that he was hurting, untrusting, and that love for him was rooted in fear.

“I didn’t realize that you—” he started to explain before I interrupted whatever stupid thing was about to come out of his perfectly kissable mouth. Even with the cut on the bottom, I wanted it.

“Listen to me.” I spoke in the same tone that he’d given me before, when he’d commanded my attention, and he snapped his mouth closed. “You’re allowed to get scared. You’re allowed to freak out. But you’re not allowed to shut me out. If you need time, you tell me. I’ll give it to you. But you don’t run away from me and not come back. You don’t get to leave me. You don’t get to give up on us without a fight.”

I started to get emotional again, and I could tell that he wanted to comfort me, but his body wouldn’t cooperate.

He stared at me, his green eyes turning glassy as he sucked in a breath. “That was a good speech.”

I let out an awkward laugh. “I meant it.”

“Come here.” He pulled on my hand.

“I’m right here,” I said, unsure of where exactly he wanted me.

“April, kiss me.”

I leaned down carefully before pressing my lips to his gently. His hand moved to the back of my neck and held me in place. When we finally broke the kiss, he ran his finger down my cheek.

“I need to ask you for one thing,” he said, and I swallowed and nodded my head. “Be patient with me. I’m definitely going to mess up, but I’m going to try my best not to.”

“My speech was way better,” I teased, and he laughed.

“It definitely was. I have some bad habits that I need to break. But there’s no one else I want to break them for. My gut instincts are to run. But with you, my gut tells me to stay.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the top.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I hoped my words reassured him and brought him some sense of peace that I knew he struggled with when it came to relationships.

“I wouldn’t let you if you tried,” he said instinctively, and I knew he meant it.

If I ran away from him, I sensed that Robbie would chase me to the ends of the earth, just to bring me back. And I’d do the same for him.

How had we gone from being annoyed with one another’s existence to not wanting to let each other go in a handful of weeks?

I had no idea, but I was here for it. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

EPILOGUE

APRIL

SIX MONTHS LATER

Ihated admitting that Sheila had known what she was doing all along, but it was obvious that she had. She’d seen something that neither Robbie nor I could see. The craziest part was how she’d put it together from knowing us each separately and only meeting Robbie twice. It wasn’t like he and I had ever met before she came on the scene and played matchmaker for the matchmaker.

Ironic, I know.

Robbie had healed from his injuries fairly quickly, which didn’t surprise me. I stayed over at his apartment every night until he was better, playing nurse—and dressing up like one. He’d liked that even though he hadn’t always enjoyed playing the part of the patient.

My man with the soft heart, who hated being soft.

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