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“I’er Takes way too s So, I try ht forward as possible and say what I mean”

“I know I know that a lot of s, and always concluding with the worst-case scenario”

“Well, when it comes to me, and how I feel about you, there is no worst-case You havetime for this For you You’re it for me No matter what you tell e”

Ginger put her hands on either side of ave ainst mine and ran her thumb across my lips I watched her take in a breath and let it out slowly

“The simple answer, because he told me to” She sat up and looked at me “It was Hallohich iswas also his birthday I’d dressed up like a genie and told hi fun and…I thought it’d be a day of…”

She looked away, turning her head to stare off into the distance I stepped closer to her and worked to keep the anger that burned anytime that bastard was ether, and he’d destroyed her Two and a half years, she was still picking up the pieces, but she was here She survived him

Ginger started speaking again, but kept her eyes focused off into the darkness “I didn’t want a tattoo, but he was a ainstto it wasn’t bad enough, I let hin it and didn’t see it until after ere back at his place It hurt He’d done a lot of things that I’d forgiven” Her hand went to her chest, rubbing over her heart as if talking about this brought the pain back “For hi and shook her head

When she turned back, tears ran down her face The haunted expression she worequestion I despised seeing his initials on her shoulder, and I don’t know if it was ego or soretted it now That fucking bastard had taken advantage of her

She wiped away the tears only to have new ones replace theued over it To say I wasn’t happy would be an understateed me out of the house to the sheditit was then I learned about who he really was” She paused and drew in a sharp breath “So, now you know” She wiped the tears away again

“Now I know” I leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss “And nothing’s changed”

Chapter 52

Calida

The sound of Shawn talking to hiive Mal a quick kiss on the cheek before easing out of his eed a pillow in ht a smile to my face

I picked up his discarded shirt off the floor and slipped it on as I exited Shawn’s bright blue eyes and sreeted me when I entered his room

“Mornin’, baby boy Did you sleep okay?”