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“No.”
“This has been a lot.”
“Yeah.” For her it had been, but nothing he couldn’t handle. If the mood wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable. Everything in his life had always been unsure, dangerous, and chaotic. The polar opposite of hers until a few years ago.
“I’m sorry.”
He rubbed his hand over her back. “For what?”
“For all of this,” she mumbled.
“You got nothing to apologize for. You didn’t do anything wrong. He did. That’s not on you, and I’m not letting you carry that.”
She tightened her hold and whispered, “I love you.”
Jekyll couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard those three words. If ever. He angled his head and brushed his lips over her temple.
“Say it again.”
She stilled, briefly and looked up.
“I love you.”
“Love you. And there’s nothing I wouldn’t fucking do for you.” He cupped her jaw. “Tell me you know that.”
She slowly nodded. “I do.”
His thumbs strummed over her cheeks. It had been a long night, and she needed her rest.
“Come on.”
He led her down the hall to his room, and they got settled in bed. She was curled into his side with her cheek resting on his chest and her arm over his stomach. She was probably seconds away from passing out, but Jekyll couldn’t help himself. He just wanted to hear it one more time.
“Say it again.”
Her hand caressed over his hip. “I love you.”
Fucking perfect!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Imogene spent the last two days in hiding. Kind of. She never left Jekyll’s house and ignored her phone, but she got up every day, showered, ate, and did all the things to somehow shake her funk. It was a lot to process. It would take more time to show herself some grace and forgiveness. Jekyll assured her there was nothing to forgive on her end, and she was the innocent one in her dad’s story. Maybe he was right, but her mind just couldn’t accept that yet.
This would mark her first outing since that night. She leaned closer to the mirror, applying her lip gloss, and running her fingers through her hair. She’d cried a lot in the last two days, and her puffy eyes were proof.
“Where you going?”
Jekyll was standing in the doorway.
“Strip club.”
Jekyll smiled. “Business or pleasure?”
Imogene rolled her eyes and smacked his chest as she passed by. “I set up the meeting with Shelby last week.”
“You can cancel it.”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t. I need this. A wise man once gave me great advice on distraction, and I’m going to take it. Besides, as much as I love your house, I need to get out.”
