“Should I have started with that?” he grinned, picking up on my sudden acquiesce.

“I shouldn’t have freaked out on you. Of course, I want to help her, it’s just that a part of me still hurts for the little girl who was afraid of her own shadow because of the possibility that it was actually you standing behind me.”

“I’ll apologize to you every day for the rest of my life if that’s what it will take.”

“Or you can just love me.”

He stepped up until his chest was pressed against mine as he stared down at me with growing intensity—”I thought that’s what I’ve been doing”—and sarcasm.

I wrapped my arms around his neck with a coquettish smile. “A girl needs to be reminded every now and then.”

“I seem to remember reminding you very thoroughly last night. I even have it on video.”

I felt my body grow hot at the reminder of all that occurred last night and decided to change the subject. “So when do I get to meet this Cassie?”

“How about this weekend?”

I nodded. “I still can’t believe you corrupted a witness.” And was that pride I heard in my voice?

“Believe it, baby. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

And I now knew that included giving up his chance at killing the father who sold him and secretly killed his mother.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” His answer was slowed down by wariness.

“What if you didn’t kill your mother?”

It was obvious by the way his body jerked that it hadn’t been the question he expected.

“Where is this coming from?”

“You want to right so many wrongs about your past, and I know this must haunt you… What if you didn’t do it?”

“You’re right,” he agreed but pulled away. His face twisted with disgust, and I knew this wasn’t going to end well. “There are many things about my past I want to undo but killing my mother can never be one of them.”

“But—”

“Fuck.” He shoved his hands through his hair. His eyes shifting wildly. “I’m not doing this.”

He moved for the door, but I couldn’t let him leave like this.

“But you didn’t do it!” I shouted too late.

He had already stormed out.

* * *

The next couple of days, I struggled with telling Keiran the truth about Sophia’s death. Mitch had led him to believe he killed his own mother, and while Keiran refused to talk about it, I knew it haunted him.

Would there ever be a right time to tell him? After his episode two days ago, I had begun to think it was better never to tell him.

What would the truth do to him? Would he accept it as the truth or would he believe Mitch was fucking with him even in death?

Keiran hadn’t spoken a word to me in the two days since I tested the waters. Though it didn’t stop him from turning to me at night or in the morning when we would wake or even in the middle of the day.

And since the first time he took me, I wasn’t strong enough to deny him so I let him use my body as an escape. It was the only way to help him while he struggled with his demons.

“Hey,” I heard from the doorway as I pulled on jeans. Today was my first day of summer class, and I was reluctant to go. The tension between us only made me want to latch myself to him, afraid he might bolt.

“Hey.”

He didn’t move from the door. He continued to stare as I pulled on a t-shirt and slid my feet into flip-flops. I grabbed my messenger bag and pulled it over my head and held onto the strap to keep it from latching.

“Class?” he asked stating the obvious. Maybe he was feeling as insecure as I was.

A girl could only hope.

“Yup. First day. I have two—”

“Come here,” he interrupted. I blew my growing bangs out my eyes so I could see how serious he was. The intensity of his stare told me he was very serious. My feet moved before my brain could give the command. When my brain finally did catch up, I stopped and decided to make him meet me the rest of the way.

I should have known better.

He gripped the strap of my bag and tugged me the rest of the way.

In a way, the move defined the scope of our relationship. I challenged him, and he pushed back, obliterating all my defenses.

“Are you talking to me yet?” he pouted.

“Wha— I thought you weren’t talking to me?”

“I fucked up,” he sighed. “I shouldn’t have walked out on you like that.”