Split(104)

“Gage.” My dad nods.

Gage’s eyes find mine and his eyebrows lift in a silent, You told him.

I nod back. As much as I want to hate Gage for what he did, how badly I want him to know the hurt he put me through, I can’t. I have to believe he acted out of self-preservation, some inherent defense to avoid any kind of emotional abuse. God, I’m sick, but I still love him.

“This f*cking psycho is holding me hostage!” Trevor breaks the silence.

Gage rolls his eyes and saunters forward. My gaze devours his shirtless torso and the way his gray sweats hang loose around narrow hips. He’s the walking definition of dangerous and sexy. His eyes fix on mine. “Was he always such a drama queen?”

My dad stabs a finger in the air. “Someone better start talking or I’m calling the sheriff.”

Gage glares at Trevor, making my ex’s face drain of what little color it had. “This piece of shit showed up on my doorstep to f*cking interrogate me. He was asked to leave. Multiple times. He wouldn’t.” He shrugs. “So I dragged him inside, tied him down.” He flashes me a wicked grin. “We had a little chat about his intentions with the lovely Shy Ann.”

This gets both my and my dad’s attention and Trevor shifts uncomfortably in his binds.

“Seems he had plans to drag you to Los Angeles, but not to help you with your career goals.” Gage smacks Trevor on the backside of his head, making him yelp. “He was going to make you his whore.”

“Ha! Yeah, well, he could’ve tried.” I glare at my ex-friend. “Like I’d ever let him touch me again.”

“You f*cking liar!” Trevor’s face screws tight and a vein bulges from his forehead. “You would’ve done anything I asked to get to Los Angeles. Don’t go acting all self-righteous now. You f*cked me all through college just to get a job, and don’t—”

“Heard enough.” My dad crosses to Trevor and pulls him up from the chair. Keeping his wrists and ankles bound, he tosses him over his shoulder. “I’ll be outside. Callin’ Austin to come pick up this sack of crap. You two talk about whatever you need to talk about before the sheriff gets here. And you?” He stares down at Gage. “I’m trusting you with my daughter. Don’t make me regret it.”

Gage stands a little taller. “Sir.”

Satisfied with Gage’s response, my dad heads out with a wiggling and irate Trevor over his shoulder. Once the door closes, I face Gage. Silence builds between us, both of us daring the other to talk first.

“You hurt me.”

He rocks back and his shoulders slump, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I know.”

“Why?” The single word comes out like a cry from my soul.

“I thought . . . f*ck. I saw you at the hospital. He kissed you.”

I suck in a sharp breath. “You were there? It wasn’t what you think—”

“Luke knew it wasn’t. He understood.” He shifts on his feet and finally brings his eyes to mine. “It was me. I was . . . scared. Thought we’d lose you.”

“So you pushed me away first.”

His eyelids drop in a slow blink. That’s a yes.

“I’m not used to feeling this”—he digs his fingertips into the space between his pecs—“deep. It’s f*cking scary.” His molten-gray stare meets mine. “I don’t get scared.”

I wish like hell his explanation could erase the memory and take away the heartache of what he did. “You’ll never trust me enough to love me.”

He takes a step forward but must see something in my expression that makes him stop. “That’s not true. I trust you. I do. I can’t bear to lose you, that’s all. We can’t live without you and that’s . . .” He blows out a long breath. “How can I prove it to you?”

I swallow hard, hoping what I’m about to say doesn’t take us two steps back in the progress we’ve made. But I have to know he trusts me, and it’s the only way. “Tell me what happened the night your family died.”

His face blanches. “You’ll hate me when you hear.”

I move closer until we’re almost touching but I refuse to make the first move. He’ll reach for me when he’s ready. “I could never hate you, Gage.”

“Thought I ruined everything.”

“You almost did, but lucky for you I don’t give up easily.”

“You should let us go, find the life you deserve, Shy.” His eyes shine and he dips his chin. “I can’t promise I won’t hurt you again.”

“Of course you can.”

“I can’t. This is all so new and I’m so f*cking afraid of messing it up.”

“Take a chance, Gage. Trust me. Let me carry some of this weight for you. Tell me what happened the night your family died.”

His arms wrap around me and he buries his face in my neck, the skin of his cheeks cold and clammy against my heated throat. His big body sags against me in what feels like welcomed defeat. “Why are you intent on destroying me, Shy?” He’s dropping his walls and my chest floods with warmth as his trust envelopes me like a warm blanket. His lips dance across my skin. “Why?”

“I don’t want to destroy you.” My pulse pounds in my ears at the shakiness in his voice. I’ve never heard him so undone. I wrap my arms around him, holding him to me. “I want you to let me love you.”