Page 72 of Safe Place

She blinks. “What?”

“All of it. The texts, the notes, anything you have.”

“Why?” she asks, quieter now.

I hold her gaze, steady, unwavering. “So I can handle it.”

Her brows knit slightly. “I told you I’m going to report him. I can handle it.”

“I know,” I say, softer now. “I just want to be prepared—so I can have your back.”

She hesitates, then nods. “Okay.”

I pause for a second, keeping my tone gentle. “Can I ask you something?” I add. “And Sophie—I’m not blaming you. I just want to understand.”

She nods again.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask. Then softer, “Would you tell me if—before anything like that happens again?”

Her breath catches, and she looks down, her voice strained. “I don’t—Micah, my life has so many flaws. Every time I think things are finally looking brighter, another storm hits. It’s been like that my whole life.”

It breaks my heart.

“I don’t want you to see me as someone who’s constantly in trouble. I’m scared that one day you’ll realize it’s too much—that I’m too much—and you won’t want to—to even be friends with someone like me.”

I stare at her for a long moment, my jaw even more tight now, because fuck, I hate that she even thinks that way.

“First,” I say, leaning closer, my voice low but firm, “nothing—nothing—is ever going to make me feel that way about you. I want to protect you, baby. I want you safe. Seeing you smile? That’s everything to me. I’d do anything—everything—for that.”

Her cheeks turn pink, her eyes darting away like she’s embarrassed, and it's so cute how shy she still is with me sometimes.

“And second,” I can’t help the small grin that tugs at my mouth. “Did you just say friends?”

She blinks at me, confused. “Yes?”

I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head. “Sophie, you are not my friend. I wouldn’t go around doing all this for a friend.”

She hesitates, looking at me cautiously. “Then what am I?”

“What do you think?” I don’t hesitate. “You’re my problem.”

“What?” she asks, her voice a bit louder than usual—but she’s smiling.

“I’m kidding,” I say quickly, grinning. Then I pause. “You’re obviously my girlfriend, Sophie.”

Her brown eyes widen, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she looks away. “I am?”

God, she’s so damn cute when she’s shy like this, and it makes me want to kiss her.

“Yeah, you are,” I say, softer now, leaning just close enough that she has to look at me. “So it’d be a lot easier to protect my girlfriend if she stopped hiding things from me.”

Her blush deepens, and I can’t stop myself from smirking a little.

I tilt my head toward my bedroom door. “You see that?”

She follows my gaze, still looking adorably flustered.

“That room’s ours. No one besides us has ever been in there.” I let the words hang. “That’s our sacred place.”