Page 50 of The Saint

“Sunny!” Carmen rounded the breakfast bar, chasing after the curly-haired dog. “Sunny, no. Heel.”

Sunny stopped, butt down but wiggling with excitement. As Carmen reached for its collar, the dog took off. Carmen let out a chuckle, then turned toward the door.

There, in the doorway, hands scratching under the chin of a dog that looked like a wolf, was Rolly. His smile was wide and gorgeous, his arms straining as he held the dog in place, each tiny movement causing a ripple in his muscles that had my body doing strange things.

I adjusted myself on my chair, and that motion was enough to pull his attention my way. And I watched as that smile fell, as his brow furrowed, as every ounce of happiness I’d seen in him a moment before drained away.

“You’re here early.” Carmen went to her son and slipped her fingers under the collar of the wolf. “Lupo, stay.”

Rolly gave the dog’s head one last rub, then stood to his full height. He hugged his mom, eyes closed, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. “It didn’t take as long as I expected.”

Sunny came racing back through the kitchen, licked at Carmen’s hand holding back the wolf, then dashed away, only to catch my scent and come my way. The dog put her paws in my lap, wiggling with energy as I felt mine slowly draining away.

Rolly peered up at me under a heavy brow and gave me a weak smile. “David. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“We were just having tea. Would you like some?” Carmen tugged at Lupo’s collar, who was now straining to get toward me and Sunny.

But before Rolly could respond, before the growing knot in my stomach could expand more than it already had, I slipped off my chair, gently knocking Sunny to the floor.

“Actually, I should be going.”

“Already?”

“Yeah.” I knew when I wasn’t wanted, and the cautious looks Rolly had been giving me since he first noticed me in his parents’ house told me I wasn’t wanted here. “I’ve got… somewhere I need to be. But thank you for the tea.”

“Of course, sweetheart.”

I turned my back, rushing toward the front door as fast as I could without looking like I was running away. Carmen was still attached to that dog’s collar…

But I didn’t account for Rolly.

“David.” He grabbed my arm just as I stepped out onto the front step, and although I tried, couldn’t yank it out of his grip. He spun me to face him. “Where are you going?”

“Home,” I blurted before I had a chance to think.

His gaze traced my face, and it felt like adding fuel to the flames already licking at my skin. “I’m sorry.”

My head jerked back. “For what?”

His ocean eyes met mine, and I was crushed by a wave of calm. “For whatever my face looked like to make you run away like this.” The tip of his tongue slipped out to wet his lip. “You caught me by surprise. I haven’t told them about us.”

I winced, even though I figured as much. “Are you going to?”

His head bobbed, but there was no conviction behind it. And I hated that. I hated that I had hurt him so badly that he was scared to tell his parents that we were more than just friends. I could blame him as much as I wanted, but deep down, I knew the blame lay with me.

Lifting my hand to his chest, I dipped my head to catch his gaze. “I should go.”

There was sadness written all over his face, even with the corners of his lips tipped up. His hand swept across the side of my head, fingers tangling in the hair at the back. He pulled me close, pressing a kiss to my forehead that felt like goodbye.

13

JAEL

Leaving Rolly on his parents’ doorstep hurt more than when I’d run away five years ago. I’d walked away, each footstep feeling heavier than the last, until I couldn’t walk any farther. My chest ached, my eyes burned, and it was all I could do to hold it together while the car I finally called brought me to my apartment.

I ate my feelings, forgoing every healthy option in my place for the entire pint of pistachio ice cream hidden in the back of my freezer. When it was gone, I turned the shower on as hot as I could stand it, and sat on the tile floor, letting the hot water fall on me like rain.

Somehow, in the few weeks we’d been back by each other's side, I’d let Rolly deeper into my heart than he’d ever been before. I hated it. I hated the pain I felt, the hurt I caused. I hated the knowledge that I’d ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me.