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I watch her run treh her darab her and hold her against me until I’o--old habits die hard I want to beg her to stay

"Lucy," I croak "Don’t do this"

Her hair brushes the bed as she shakes her head "You have no idea the power you have overthrough ht to put a voice to

"I know I’m a pushover I know I put up with a lot because I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt So that isn’t there But with you, if I let myself think… How do I know it’s real this time?"

I stand up and look at her I take in the true fear in her eyes, her fingers bunching into hair, the way she bites at her lip And then I kneel in front of her, restingknees

"It’s real, Lucy It’s always been real That’s why I freaked out What you ray eyes dart over my face "What about Hope?"

I shakelike this"

She tips her head, concentrating on my hands, still over her knees "The day I asked you about A Fool’s Paradise, and you got out of my car, I knew then I sat infor you to come back And when you didn’t, I called Guy I wanted to make sure you didn’t have to walk all the way ho care of it, but I still sat there waiting on you I wanted you to come back" She looks up andto hurt me I asked you not to and you were honest You warned me that you would And then you did And I realized that I never stopped waiting on you I can’t give up on you I don’t kno and that gives you all the power over ain and again" She looks back down and shakes her head My throat is closed off, blocked byin your kitchen when Hope showed up That’s all it took Oneto do your best by o irl You didn’t just hurt me by accident You did it purposely And still I waited for you I stayed in your apart to make sure you were okay" Lucy shoves my hands off her and stands up She paces in front ofon the floor, unable to do anything else I knew some of this already, but to hear it come frouish in her eyes, it strikes me so much harder

How could I have been such a cold-hearted bastard to her? To Lucy of all people

I’ a bad taste in h It can’t be I’ve said it too many times now I have to show her I have to prove it

"I don’t know if I can spendon you, Park No matter how ood for me"

I shove myself to my feet and barrel into her I back her up into the wall I have toredeemable in me…

"I can’t take any of it back Fuck, Lucy I would if I could All I can do is try to ain I don’t want to lose you The past month has been hell and I can never h this I’ll oal each day to ht with that stor in sync I can’t takeher I can’t lose this again

"You call ether as I shake my head in confusion "That’s your name," I say slowly

"Nobody calls me that Nobody that really knows me My friends If you can’t even do that, how can I believe you?"

I chuckle lightly without humor "Because, Lucy, you and I are not friends We never have been and we never will be" I pressat er than that and I don’t want to call you what everybody else does When I label you with a nickna to be mine, and only mine, to call you by"

Her mouth opens then closes, her eyes a ind of eainst mine "Oh," is all she says

"We’ll take this slow," I whisper against her hair "We’ll do this right Dates, ood enough for you, but let reat we can be together"

Lucy closes her eyes "Please don’t hurt ain Not on purpose I swear on hs and opens her eyes We stare at one another for several seconds I want to kiss her I need to She h to bring our lips together I nearly sigh at the pleasure this brings

I think I love this girl, and as htened of not loving her

She breaks the kiss and I alroan "What does this mean?" she asks

"What does what mean?"

"For you and me What are we?"

I smile We’ve been here before, but I was a chicken-shit then She wants it clear this time and so do I No more bullshit I hold her face in between my palms and touch the tip of her nose with a kiss "You’re mine I’m yours I want everyone to know it"

"But Jessie--"

"Jessie can deal with it If he can’t, then I’ll et a say in this And neither does Bree This is between you and me The only person’s opinion that matters to me is yours I’ll be yours until you tell me differently Only yours"

"You can’t take that back," she ain"

All I want is her trust I know I don’t deserve it, but I will earn it I want her to have no doubts I want to be the person she knows she can always count on "I ain You’ll see You’ll get tired ofaround so much"

"I’m not so sure about that You’re too fun to look at"

"I’ at her deviously

"And to taste"

Fuck I go completely still because I just pro about ripping her clothes off and tossing her ontoto be in trouble if you keep talking like that," I warn her

Lucy arches a brow in challenge and I growl