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“I don’t blame you”

“No, I hout the apartment I broke furniture I found Marc and beat him to a bloody pulp” Jensen clenched and unclenched his fist, re the bloodlust “I never told hiht it was because of Vanessa, which is probably why he didn’t press charges”

“Still…I don’t blame you, Jensen”

And I meant every word How could I possibly blame him for what happened? Vanessa and Marc were to bla from hi Colt was his No wonder he never told anyone How could he bear the shame? The sense of loss?

I reached out and took his hand He glanced up at ht that I would turn on him, like everyone else had in his life

He deflated beforethat finally telling soers around my hand, and we stayed like that for a few minutes in silence

“So, that’s the whole story,” he finally said, drawing back “I know that you’re upset with ht to be, but I do trust you Or I want to I want you in o But, now, you know the whole story I feel like our train got off the rails so turn, but I want this to work I wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have given you my mother’s necklace if I didn’t want that”

He pulled the diale between us

“This belongs to you”

“Jensen,” I whispered

He took ently laid the necklace into ht One way or another”

This was a lot to absorb

He wanted to prove to me that he trusted me That he could trust

It didn’t h, but it was a start

I closed my hand around the necklace He smiled brilliantly, the hours of anxiety fro off of his shoulder He leaned forward and brushed his lips to my forehead Slowly, I let a smile stretch across my face as I put the necklace back around my neck and tucked it under my shirt

I’d given him hope…and now, I had some, too

He stood up to leave and give ave lanced at the screen His face paled

“Who is it?” I asked I did not like that look on his face

“Marc”

“Why would he be calling?”