Page 66 of Love in the Storm

“Hey. Um, are you busy?”

“Yes. I mean, no.” She wanted to invite him in, but she didn’t even have a cup to offer him a glass of water. She’d packed those up this morning.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

She wanted to talk, sort of, but was there a way to forbid certain topics? Her eviction, her criminalrecord, the perfect time they’d spent together at the cabin–all of those were dangerous areas that she didn’t want to enter right now.

“Sure.” She stepped aside, allowing Asa to enter the room. “Sorry. I’m in the middle of moving.”

Asa looked around for two seconds before turning his attention to her. “Where are you moving?”

“Um. I’m staying with Kendra. Temporarily.”

Asa rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor. Maybe he was nervous too.

Finally, he looked at her and dropped his hands to his sides. “I’m sorry. Things got weird after you told me about how we’d met before, and I panicked. I probably didn’t say the right thing.”

His apology made her want to cry. She hadn’t expected it. He was visibly nervous, and it warmed something in her tired heart. If he didn’t care a whole lot, he wouldn’t have tracked her down to talk.

“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should have answered your texts. And I was weird at Deano’s. I’m double sorry.”

“Wow. I’ve never had a double apology before,” Asa said as a grin formed on his lips.

Unable to contain the relief that swept over her, she tried to hide her own grin. “I’m trying to make a serious declaration of my stupidity. This is not a laughing matter.”

He pulled the collar of his flannel shirt over his mouth to hide his smile. “Sorry. Go on.”

Lyric took a step toward him and gently tugged his shirt from where it covered his mouth. “I’ve never been so stupid before.”

She could hear her heart beating loud in the quiet room, and Asa was close enough to touch. She’d been avoiding his calls and texts because losing him had been so heartbreaking the first time. She didn’t want to relive it again.

But now, Asa had tracked her down and given his own apology, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. He wasn’t just saying he cared. He was showing it.

Asa was a good man, and he’d gone out of his way to find her. Few men would have given her a second thought.

This was bad, but oh so good. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again.

He only hesitated a moment. “You’re forgiven. If you’re not into me, just say so. I’m a big boy. I can take it. I think.”

“That’s not it at all. I was just…I thought you’d be happy to be rid of me.”

Asa scoffed. “Far from it. I can’t stop thinking about you. I do think we need to talk some things out, but I’m willing to listen if you’re willing to let me in.”

Oh no. The emotions were swelling in her throat and tingling behind her eyes. She couldn’t cry now.

Be strong. No tears.

She cleared her throat. “Thank you. I understand why you freaked out. I mean, you’re the picture of lawfulness, and I have a lawless history. But I want you to know that I’m not like that anymore.”

“I believe you. I have to,” he said resolutely.

“You don’thaveto, but I’m glad you do.”

“Wewilltalk about that soon, but can we talk about something else first?” Asa asked.

She was suddenly aware that they’d been standing near the door this whole time. She gestured to the couch. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”

When Asa didn’t move toward the seat she’d offered, worry began to creep in. She’d gone from super happy and comfortable with Asa to totally embarrassed in a split second.

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