Page 140 of The Forbidden Freshman
“It’s perfectly safe.” I grin. “I’m a gentleman, I swear. I’ll set you up in the living room with a coffee or hot chocolate, and I’ll leave you alone if you want me to… or I can sit and keep you company. Whatever you need.”
She stares at me for a long beat, and then out of nowhere her eyes fill with tears. Covering her mouth with her hand, she dips her head as a sob shudders her body.
I move without thinking, darting out the door and wrapping my arm around her. She stiffens at my touch, and something horrible snakes through me. A warning. A sinking dread that’s all too familiar.
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” I whisper. “I promise.”
She sniffs and lets me gently nudge her into the house. As the door swings shut behind us and her suitcase, I let her go, keeping my hand lightly on her elbow as I check on her.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I murmur, then throw in a comforting smile. “I’m Liam, by the way.”
Her lips tremble as she attempts a smile of her own, then rasps, “I’m Rachel.”
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