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I felt cold, re the moment well

"When we met… at first the situation with Jenks just reirl It didn’t matter if I didn’t know you I was there, I saw that shit happening and I knehat Jenks was like, so I wasn’t going to stand there and let that happen to you I walked you home because I didn’t want hiates to make sure you were okay because after I walked you ho out for you You were a funny, sirl, and you looked atinteresting to say and you wanted to hear all about it That felt better than you can iot addicted to feeling that henever you were around I even started hoping for reasons for you to ht I shouldn’t have I let us get close

"I didn’t want you to love me, Hannah, because I was terrified I’d hurt you, and, yeah, I know that sounds fked up now since I hurt you by walking out on you, but at the tiuffawed "I thought I was in love with you I let myself be vulnerable with you in every way I could and you scrambled off me as if you couldn’t bear to be near me You brokehis chin on the more in my life It was fked up and stupid and if I could take that

His eyes drifted to ain "No," he replied, his voice thick "Just the part where I left you"

"If you feel that hy didn’t you come back to me when you returned to Scotland?"

"Because I didn’t feel that way then Nothing ed when Nonno died, Hannah I still felt worthless for a very long tiaze lowered and he gave a tiny shake of his head "I don’t know It was nothing Everything I grew up, I worked hard, and I began to find value in myself Somewhere, bit by bit, day by day, I found self-worth I found it by proving that bastard wrong"

"I’lad you found that," I told him honestly "But that still doesn’t tell me why after that you didn’t come find me"

"Because by then years had passed, Hannah I didn’t knohat to say and I didn’t know if I could stand to have you look atto feel about ?"

"Until the wedding," he agreed, heat entering his eyes now "It was a shock to see you there, but seeing you again… God, I thought I kne ain I know I caet you to talk to me, and I’m sorry if I freaked you out… but you didn’t look atYou looked pissed, but it wasn’t this fking awful thing I’d built up in one, I just really needed the chance to apologize and I illing to do anything I could to get that chance"

Sonore, exalted at his confession "And now that you’ve explained everything… what do you want froiveness," he answered sincerely The sincerity quickly dissipated under the weight of the intensity that entered his expression That look filled the whole rooet to know you"

Withto hinore that response "In ay?"

"Not just as friends, if that’s what you’re thinking"

I jerked back into pretend to want to be just friends so you can try a sneak attack for more?"

Marco stared atto hide that I want to get to knoho you are now I’ to hide the fact that I think you’re still the classiest,beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, or the fact that I remember the taste of you and it still makes me hard"

I couldn’t breathe

"Hannah?" He frowned ats, trying to collect myself

"Hannah?"

My eyes clashed with his "What do you want ive you and, yes, I want to get to know you again’"

"I don’t know if I can do that," I whispered

For a , but suddenly he stood up I tiltedwarily as he strode around the table to tower overover me, and I couldn’t suppress the shiver that cascaded down my spine when he pressed his waraped at hiive you a couple of days to think about it"

CHAPTER 11

I stared woefully at the wall in front of me decorated with Cole’s tattoo art The buzz of the tattoo needle next door played a sound track to Saturday lunch withat INKarnate and I’d stopped by with food so we could hang out on his lunch break

I could feel his eyes burning into aze

He sipped his coffee and continued to stare atintoif I should count on silence fro my food, I rolled my eyes "What, we can’t just sit in comfortable silence?"

"You didn’t come here to sit in co his feet up on the part of the tattoo chair"You came here to talk, so talk"

"But that would make me the whiniest best friend on the planet"

"I’ll take whiny over htly to face hi to say"

"Hmm" He crossed his arms over his chest with aroom with the candlestick?"

"Har-de-har-har" I rinned unrepentantly

"I had dinner with Marco a week ago"

My friend’s eyebrows rose "And I’ so he said He wants a second chance At everything"

"Everything as in… a relationship, not just friendship?"

"Yes"

"Did he explain why he left?"

"His grandfather died He went back to the States to be with his grandrandfather and he just thought… basically he thought I was too good to be in his life and that’s why he never told ot in touch when he cahed "He’s changed, Cole He’s not the guy he was back then, and he says heto say to you what I said before Everyone deserves a second chance It’s not like what he did was so awful He left without saying good-bye, but you weren’t together I think you’rethis more complicated than it is"