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"Okay, okay You’re right No need to dig up the past" He didn’t say anything else, and I was grateful that he wasn’t pressuring h I could tell questions were running through his mind

I put my ear back down onto his chest and draped edon my hip "I haven’t spoken to hi"

"What happened when he came to your apartment?"

"Riley answered the door, and he told her he was looking for nized it immediately When I went to check on her I told her not to answer the door again"

"It sounds like he et this worked out Or I can put you up in a hotel"

This wasway too fast I hadn’t told him about this so he could fix the problem for me "No, Vincent I can’t ask you to do that"

"You’re not asking, I’hed "Fine No hotel then I’ll get you a security teauys at Blackthorn Security, you’ll barely notice them"

I shook my head

"Think about it" He looked intensely at o to the police?"

"I doubt it They wouldn’t do anything in Ca What’s his name?" When he saw the look onto him, I promise"

I wouldn’t have told him, but the soleuy who htly

"Martin Pritchard I called him Marty"

He nodded slowly "Where did you e He started out being really nice, but gradually got more and more possessive and jealous"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Please don’t" I took a deep breath, trying to quell the nausea I had begun to feel as I recalledand we sat in silence for a couple et you a security team You’ll barely notice them, and they could save your life"

"Vincent, I told you this because you wanted to know, not so you could solve this problem for me I can deal with my own issues" I was scared of Marty, but I really didn’t want to see What if I counted on him and then he disappeared? I would only have ain, but he didn’t say anything for a minute "Fine Do you at least have some way to defend yourself if he tries to attack you? Mace, a knife, a gun, anything?"

My head spun at the thought of owning a deadly weapon What kind of person did he think I was? "No Why on earth would I own a gun?"

"Let’s get you soed as hot tears began budding up in , but he sounded very worried about this I already regretted telling hiood, but I didn’t want hiated, or like I was too weak to deal with this on my own

Arm still around me, he rockedlad you told me about this We can handle it however you want, okay?"

I nodded, though the tears were still coan to lift off my shoulders I realized how stressed I had been

Vincent kissed away the tears rolling down ed as he cradledI really didn’t want to deal with this right now

"Let’s forget about this for now," I said "We can go to the store toested I’d prefer not to think about it any away the tears onin kisses on h his underith e was i to be I needed a distraction from this situation I had an idea of hoanted to distract h his underwear