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She wasn’t ashamed She’d meant every word

And yet to stay and face hiht he hadn’t done anything wrong He’d kept her off the roads He’d allowed her to stay And more than all of that, he’d taken care of her

She needed to thank hilanced at Aidan where he still stood watching the dark night slowly turn into a glorious

He’d let her have her inner battle in private

"I’ll get my keys," he said

She drew a deep breath "Not necessary Turns out ere both wrong about what I’aze, a small smile on his mouth "Not me," he said "I had money on you and I never lose"

She let out a shaky breath "Well you could’ve saved me some time and anxiety if you’d just said so to start with"

White teeth flashed "Where would the fun be in that?"

The stairs did indeed lead to the gyh, up close to the ceilings, and set in the concrete walls The ht across the hardwood floor, casting the room in a patchwork of luster and shadow

Hud was indeed there, shirtless, sweatpants dangerously low slung, working weights As she ht bench where he was , she shifted in and out of thethe flip-flopping eh her Stay Go Stay…

Hud continued to silently hoist weights in perfectly timed repetitions like some dark superhero, and she took a moment to appreciate the beauty of theat him

She leaned over the bar and smiled at him

He didn’t look surprised to see her Nor did he return her sht," she ht"

He settled the bar into the rack and sat up as shehim "You don’t remember?" he asked with a whisper of disbelief

"Not at first, but it’s all coht, she tried size for that?"

The false stillness in his face told her that he wasn’t going to let her keep anything light and he wasn’t going to smile this away either "Absolutely not," he said

Okaaaaay "And the things I said," she ize for what you feel," he said carefully "Ever"

With a sigh, she scooted forward and invaded his space When he didn’t et away, or make any move at all in fact, she splayed her hands on his chest "I wanted to thank you"

"For which part?" he asked, staying on his side of the bench, notyou drive up here into an onco so nice toto keep Lily company when I ditched you for a robbery call?"

"All of it" She let her hands drift a little because she couldn’t help herself He arm and hard and a little sweaty It shouldn’t have been such a distraction but it was He was one big distraction "I ," she said "Allowing aveto do with having cancer" She paused because this one was harder "For ain," she said softly

He stared at her for a long beat and then leaned forward The burgeoning daylight softened his features from a superhero to a mortal man, one eaknesses and hopes and dreaiven her chills and excitement But she loved the man

When he reached for her, she slid her ar in pleasure when he leaned in farther to press his forehead to hers "That sounded like a good-bye," he said