She drew a shaky breath. “I’m not that same girl anymore.”
I stepped closer and reached for her hand again. “I’m not looking for her. I like the woman standing in front ofme. The survivor. The one who found her way back here, even if it took a damn storm to blow you in.” I gave her a crooked smile, trying to lighten the moment.
Her lips twitched, but the look in her eyes was still raw.
My chest ached with the words I wanted to say. I was surprised she couldn’t hear my heart pounding in the quiet air. “Tell me you feel something. And if you don’t, then I’ll walk away. But I need to know.”
Her eyes searched mine for long seconds as I held my breath.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know.” I leaned my forehead against hers, and we stood like that for several minutes, breathing in the same air, our heartbeats finding a rhythm together.
I didn’t rush her; at least she wasn’t pulling away.
“I knew I made a mistake the second I broke up with you,” she said in a small voice. “But Chase, I honestly thought I’d hold you back, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”
“Why would you think that? It was always you.”
She shook her head. “Too many things were happening. You were going off to college, something I couldn’t even consider between the expense and my dad’s crazy thoughts. But my mom was also constantly telling me how hard it is to spend your entire life trying to make a living, or even surviving, off the land. She said she wanted something different for me. Urged me to get out while I could.” She hesitated, and her voice lowered. “And then there was Mason. He was always so jealous of you, you know?”
That baffled me. “But he didn’t even live here except for a few weeks in the summer.”
“But he saw what you had, how much your family was respected in the community. How much everyone lovedyour family. No one has ever had a lot of good to say about his family, not around here anyway. He saw his opportunity to take something from you and swept right in. I guess I was feeling vulnerable, and I bought into all his lies that he’d take me away and show me the world. I thought getting away would make it easier to get over my feelings for you.”
She let out a shaky breath. “Of course, it was too good to be true. But that was me. Naïve, stupid Anna.”
“Stop that,” I said firmly. I reached for her face and lifted her chin until she had no choice but to look at me. “Don’t ever call yourself stupid. You trusted someone who abused that. That’s on him, not you. You were young. Confused. Torn between people trying to convince you what your lifeshouldbe. He saw that and used it.”
She rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, enjoying the way her body molded into mine.
“I don’t know what happens next,” she said.
I kissed the top of her head. “We’ll figure it out together.”
She stayed in my arms, in front of the tree I’d named after her, and I held her like I’d waited forever to do. I never wanted to let go.
For the first time, I believe that maybe this time I wouldn’t have to.
Chapter 15
Anna
“Don’t work too hard,”Chase said, lingering outside of his truck.
“I won’t. Have fun.” I replied with a small smile.
He hesitated, frowning slightly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
Chase was headed to his sister Bristol’s house for a Sunday brunch. He’d wanted me to come with him, to “face the beast” as he jokingly put it. But everything between us still felt too new, too tenuous. The last thing we needed was the added pressure of his sister’s disapproval.
“I’m sure. Let’s give them more time to get used to the idea that I’m here.”
“Cam won’t be there,” he offered, as if that might change my mind.
But part of re-finding my feet was standing firm on them. “This is Bristol’s gathering,” I reminded him. “It’s not fair to her to push myself where I’m not invited, especially into her home.”
“Okay.” He exhaled, but the tension in his shouldersremained. “You’re probably right. But sooner or later, they’re going to have to deal with it.”
