Trusting You (Second Chances #2)(39)

He took my face in his hands and crushed his lips to mine, protectively yet demanding. “Don’t you ever … ever lie to me again or not tell me what’s going on in your life. This whole situation could’ve gone differently if you would’ve just had faith in me to help you.”

“I know,” I breathed against his lips. “I’m so sorry, Brett. I love you so much and I was afraid of what this information would do to us.”

Brett pulled away and slid the bag off my shoulder before taking my hand to lead me back into his room. The second he touched my right hand, I hissed in pain and bit my lip, hoping the sting would go away quickly. One of my knuckles was torn open and bruised from hitting Daniel and my wrist was slightly swollen. I had been so upset over everything else that it dulled out the pain until now.

“What happened here?” Brett asked, lightly grazing his finger over my knuckle.

Groaning, I sighed regretfully. Things were about to get worse once I told him about what Daniel did to me, but if I didn’t tell him and he found out then Brett definitely wouldn’t trust me.

Hesitantly, I bit my lip and took my aching hand out of Brett’s. “You might want to sit down for this one,” I suggested. He was already holding his anger in check, but I knew what I was about to tell him would send him over the edge. By the danger swirling in his eyes, I knew it would only take one push to unleash that anger.

“There’s more?” he snapped, gripping the edge of the couch as he sat down. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What else haven’t you told me?”

Instead of sitting beside him, I sat across from him in one of the other chairs so I could face him. “Did you get a call from Daniel while you were stuck in Texas?”

Snarling, Brett closed his eyes and punched the side of the wall after he stormed off of the couch. Gasping, I quickly leaned back in my seat to give him distance, breathing hard while I watched the fire in his eyes explode. “That motherf*cker,” he hissed. “He came to see you, didn’t he? He knew I wouldn’t be there.”

“Yes,” I sputtered nervously. “He did. That’s why I wanted to come here to your place and stay. I’m not afraid of him, but after what he did I didn’t want to be alone at my house when he could obviously get in.”

Immediately, Brett grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up to him, a look of terror marring the beautiful planes of his face. “He got into your house! What did he do to you, Melissa?” he growled. “So help me God, if he touched you I don’t know how I’m going to get through this without beating the shit out of him. It’s just not going to be possible. What…did…he…do?”

“You can’t go after him,” I warned him, placing my hands on his chest. “That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t want to tell you, but I knew I had to.” Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in and let it out slowly before meeting his angry glare. “I was out by the pool reading, and since I hadn’t slept well the past couple of nights I ended up passing out. I was out there for a couple of hours and when I woke up, I was blindfolded.”

Fuming, Brett tightened his protective hold and hung his head, clenching his jaw. “What else?”

“I thought it was you back from your trip,” I explained warily. “I didn’t know he would have the balls to do what he did.”

“How far did it go?” he demanded, finally lifting his fiery gaze to mine.

When I didn’t answer right away, he repeated it by shouting, “How far did it go?”

Quickly, I shuddered in his arms and replied, “Not far, Brett, I promise. He touched me and tried to kiss me, but as soon as he kissed me I knew it wasn’t you. I bit his lip hard and punched him in the face. That’s how I hurt my hand. He’s wanted me back for a while now, and every time I turn him down. Unfortunately, he keeps coming back; he’s relentless. He said that if I come back to him he’ll forget all about the threats on my career.”

Brett closed his eyes and trembled with fury. A second later, he bolted for the front door and grabbed his car keys from the kitchen counter as he passed. “Brett, where are you going?” I shrieked, scrambling along behind him. I grabbed his arm hard and didn’t let go; he stopped. “Please, don’t go out there like this. I’m so sorry…for everything.”

Breathing hard, he looked down at me clasping his arm and then into my teary gaze. “I need to go, Melissa. I’m too angry to think straight and looking at you is only going to fuel my persistence to kill your f*cking ex. Let…me…go,” he ordered.

Sobbing uncontrollably and with tears streaming down my face, I removed my hand from his arm as if it burned me. He stormed out of his condo and slammed the door, only to leave me breaking down on his living room floor…alone.





Twenty-Two


I cried until I passed out on the hardwood floor, tired and full of guilt. I didn’t know what time it was or how long I was there, but I knew it was late-morning by the sun creeping in through the blinds and leaving trail marks on the floor. The front door opened quietly, but I was too tired and sick to move. I was afraid this was the end to me and Brett.

However, when his fingers tenderly brushed the hair off my face I felt a new surge of hope travel through my veins. Brett lifted me off of the floor, wrapping me into the warmth of his scent and his protective arms.