Page 70 of Cheap Shot

His eyes softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “You’re not going to lecture me for overstepping or remind me that you can fight your own battles?”

“I can, but it’s nice to know you have my back. I haven’t really had someone that cared about me enough to do that in a long time.”

His gaze dropped to my lips as I spoke, and that familiar tug in my stomach that always seemed to appear around him urged me forward.

“I’m starting to realize there’s very little I wouldn’t do for you.” His voice was so low, causing me to lean closer to hear.

Inches separated us, and it was too much. Without letting my brain second-guess my heart’s decision, I closed the distance. The second our lips connected, it felt like my entire being relaxed. This was where I was meant to be.

His hands slid behind my neck and into my hair, holding me against him. I clutched at his shirt, fisting the fabric in my hands.

He increased the pressure as he tilted his head, kissing me from another angle before taking my bottom lip between his lips.

I lifted a hand, trailing my thumb along his strong jaw then pushed my fingers through his thick hair. My heart pounded against my chest, but I wasn’t scared or nervous. Everything about this felt so natural.

He pulled away and grinned before teasing me with one, two, and three short kisses before resting his forehead against mine. Keeping my eyes closed, I absorbed the feelings and sensations of being this close to him. The comfort and safety he provided along with the excitement churning in my stomach. It was right. He was right. This was how love was supposed to feel. I’d never felt so certain about anything in my life.

My brain was trying to rationalize, remind me we’d only known each other for over a month. We’d only been out once, and had that even been a real date?

My heart and soul screamed over that doubt.

He cared about me, not just because I was his friend’s sister and he wanted to watch out for me. No. It was so much deeper than that. He listened to me when I needed to unload on someone. He gave advice but never pushed me to obey. He made me laugh. He made me feel confident and beautiful. I never second-guessed myself around him, at least not when it came to his feelings about me. He’d made those pretty obvious, despite his efforts to honor my brother’s wishes. All of those amazing things, and that didn’t include how incredibly handsome he was. That was the cherry on top. Not that looks mattered in the grand scheme of things, but he was attractive in a way I’d only ever dreamed about.

But there was something major I was keeping from him. We wouldn't be able to move forward without me opening up. He knew some of the heavy things in my life, but not about what happened last year.

“Reid?” I leaned back, breaking the contact.

His eyes opened slowly and held mine.

“I need to tell you what happened.”

He sucked in a breath and leaned back against the bench, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Only if you want to.”

I leaned into his side, reveling in the quiet reassurance he radiated.

Maybe telling the girls helped this not feel so intimidating, or it was the trust he’d gained from me, but the story spilled from my lips without pulling any of the emotions I’d felt reliving it the day before.

His grip tightened on my shoulder when I told him about my ex walking in and seeing what his friend was doing before leaving and letting it happen. I expected him to interrupt or make comments, but he gave me the space to get it all out at once.

When I was done, I let out a heavy breath and felt lighter than I had in months. The burden of carrying this secret had been pulling me down day by day, and it was an enormous relief to share it with the one that I cared about most.

I watched, waiting for his reaction.

First, he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat.

Then he clenched his jaw, making the muscles below his cheekbones bulge.

Finally, his eyes locked on mine.

“Haley.” There was a devastating pain in his voice. So much more emotion than I expected. He flexed his hand on my shoulder then tightened his grip, pulling me even closer to him. He kissed the top of my head, and I closed my eyes, soaking in his strength. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry you didn’t get the justice you deserved. I’m sorry you had to go through that pain and grief alone. I hate that you didn’t get to tell your story, but I understand why you felt like you couldn’t.”

He kissed my hair again.

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me.”

I nodded against his shoulder.

“I get why Ethan’s so protective of you now.” Regret filled his voice, and I shifted enough so I could look at him.