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“Worth, I don’t know that I am?—”
“Not now. We’re not going to talk about the future now. Just let me hold you. I don’t have much longer before I have to get ready.”
I laid my hand over Worth’s. “Please be careful tonight. Please don’t try to rush out and be a hero. Let Carter and Matteo handle it.”
“I need to be there.”
“I know. I understand that. Believe me, if I didn’t, I’d be trying to talk you out of it. Beck’s your brother, and you need to see for yourself that he’s okay the moment they get him out, but please listen to Carter. I don’t want you hurt, I don’t want Beck hurt, and I don’t want them having to protect the both of you.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I’ll listen. I know I’m not the right person for this job. I know the others need to take the lead.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“Yes. I would never ask you to walk into danger like this.”
“But I want Beck safe too.”
“I know you do, but please stay here. You’ll like Ben. He’ll distract you, just not like I do.”
“I have a feeling Miles would kill me for that even before you did.”
“I would never ever hurt you.” He stroked my hair and kissed the back of my neck.
“I know that. I know you care about me. This last week has been the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“This is not goodbye.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re thinking it. Stop.”
“Worth, I just want you to understand that I don’t have expectations of you.”
“I know the things Beck has told you about me. I know the man you think I am.”
I turned over and faced him. “I think you are an incredibly special man who has a huge capacity to care for people, but who desperately needs to think about what he wants and who needs to find a path that he cares about.”
“But you don’t think I can commit to one person in a relationship?”
“I think it’s only been five days. It’s a lot to decide so fast.”
“It’s been the most amazing five days of my life. I need to get dressed. They’ll be here soon.”
“I know. Just please come back in one piece.”
“All right, then we’ll talk about our future.”
“Or we can?—”
He frowned. “Laurie?—”
“I won’t run out on you. I will talk to you. It’s not like I have a plan or any place to go. That’s part of the problem.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
“It is for me.”
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