Not a huge gap.“I can see why any man with a brain would be interested in you.”
“Thanks.”She bit her lower lip.“I started dating Randall.At first, it was fun, then Mother started pressuring me to marry him.”
“Did you?”She hadn’t mentioned being married before, only leaving her ex—Alan.
“No, but it was damn close.I can see now what happened with perfect clarity, but back then, I guess I didn’t want to see it at the time.”Her voice quivered.
Tyler clenched his hands.He had to let her tell the story in her own way.
“Did you know that going to SF State was the first time I defied my mother’s will?”Her voice was soft.
“No.”He wished they’d had this conversation about her mother years ago.“Because I was clueless and I regret not asking.”
“I didn’t want to discuss my mother and you didn’t push.I was happy living in my bubble.“Everything I did in high school was because of my mother.After I graduated, Mother wanted me to be a part of her ladies groups, charities, and all that.”
“You had other ideas.”
“Yes.I wanted to study hotel hospitality.SF State was the perfect place.I had the grades, and I even had several scholarships lined up.When I told my mother, she went ballistic.”Becca shivered.
Tyler could see it.An eighteen-year-old Becca standing up to her domineering mother for the first time.
“She yelled and raged at me, and for once, I let it all bounce off me.Everything I’d done up until that time was to please my mother.I held my ground, and when fall arrived, I moved into a small apartment right by campus.”
He’d noticed her the second day of classes.How he missed her in high school Tyler didn’t know.She sat two rows over from him in a marketing class, but it wasn’t until months later that he finally asked her out.
“My mother never knew I had a lover in college.”Becca seemed to curl into herself.She drew her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.“Randall and I had been dating about six months when he asked me to marry him.I was going to say no, but he told me he’d already spoken to Mother.Not wanting to disappoint her, I agreed.My first mistake.”
Her breathing quickened.“The second one was two months later.One night he took me back to his place—not unusual, we would often go to his place, sit, and talk.”
“This night was different?”His heart hurt as his anger at her mother and this Randall person grew.
“Yes.I’d been dragging my feet about the wedding date.Mother was pressuring me, and so was Randall.All I wanted to do was run away.That alone should have clued me in that something wasn’t right.”She stood and paced a few steps before turning back to him.
When he spotted the agony in her features, he stood and moved to her side and pulled her into his arms.He would give her as much comfort as he could.
“I was so stupid.”Her voice trembled.
He couldn’t stand hearing her put herself down for something that wasn’t her fault.“Not stupid,” he countered.
“Why didn’t I see what was coming?”She hiccupped.“I trusted him.”
“Shhhh.”He cradled her closer.He hated she was so upset.“You don’t have to tell me.”
“I do.”She leaned back in his embrace and gazed up at him.
The tears in her eyes tugged at his heart.
“Communication is important.You need to know this before we go any further, and I need to tell you.”
Tyler nodded but wouldn’t release her.He’d share his strength for whatever she had to say.
“It started off innocent enough, kissing and light petting, but then Randall got aggressive.”
“He assaulted you?”That was the only conclusion he could come to.
“Almost.”Her voice was barely a whisper now.“I fought him.Hard.I wasn’t ready.He ripped my clothing and hit me.While I was dazed, he threw me onto the bed.He was holding me down when my cell rang.”
Fucking bastard.Tyler tightened his arms around her.He’d make sure he had the rat bastard’s full name and then send some friends to see Randall and remind him how to treat a woman.
