“Where are you going?” His voice isn’t angry anymore.

“For a run. I won’t be long.”

Before he can answer, I set off jogging down the street and through my neighborhood. It feels good to be outside, and the rain is nice.

God, he hurt me. I realize now that it wasn’t just anger that drove me close to hysteria. It was the hurt.

Simon can hurt me, and I’ve never let a man get close enough to do that before. Is this all a mistake? Have I let myself get too close to him?

I guess that most couples have spats. I never saw my parents fight, but it must happen. Kate and Gabby have both told me that they’ve wanted to stab their husbands in their sleep.

And the stories Callie tells us about Declan have us rolling on the ground with laughter.

But this isn’t funny, and I don’t know how to handle it. I’m not equipped with the tools to deal with it.

I turn the corner toward the house, still not sure what I’m going to say when I go inside when suddenly, out of the haze of rain, are squealing tires.

Chapter Sixteen

~Charly~

Strong arms wrap around me and pull me roughly onto the sidewalk as the car screeches to a stop where I was just standing.

“Are you okay?”

I look up into Simon’s ocean blue eyes, full of fear now. His hold on me is tight, and he’s not letting go.

“I’m fine. It didn’t touch me.”

“Oh my God!” the driver cries out as she hurries out of the car and around to where Simon has me in a death grip on the sidewalk. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you in this rain until it was too late. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I reply and pull away from Simon, but he won’t let go of my hand. “You didn’t hit me.”

“But I would have, if he hadn’t pulled you out of the way. My husband has been badgering me to get new tires, and now I know why. I’m so sorry.”

Drivers lined up behind the woman’s car begin to honk, their patience running out.

“I’m fine,” I repeat. “You can go. Really.”

“Here’s my card,” she says as she walks away. “Call me if you need anything.”

I nod, and before I know it, Simon is leading me back to my house and inside.

“Thanks for dragging me down the block.” I’m still a little angry at him, but he just looks…terrified.

“Are you sure you weren’t hurt?” he asks as he pulls me against him, hugging me tightly. He buries his face in my neck. “You’re soaked to the bone.”

“So are you,” I reply and rest my shaking hands on his hips. “I’m fine, Simon. Thank you for pulling me out of the way. But what were you doing there?”

“I was going out to look for you,” he says, not pulling away. If anything, his grip tightens. “You were gone a long while, and I needed to see you.”

“I can’t breathe, Simon.” He loosens his hold, but still doesn’t let me go completely. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry,” he says immediately. He’s not desperate. He’s not sarcastic. He’s just honest, and it softens me a little more. “I was a dick earlier, and I’m sorry for it.”

“You were a dick,” I reply, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. And then when I decided to go find you, and I saw that car almost hit you, bloody hell, Charly, I lost ten years off of my life.”

“Hey.” I reach up and cup his cheek gently. “I’m fine.”

“I can’t lose you,” he says, his voice low and maybe a little tentative, as if he’s wary of voicing it aloud. I’ve never seen him quite this vulnerable, even the other day when he was telling me about his ex-wife. He drags his fingertips down my face and steps closer again. We’re both dripping on the floor, and neither of us seems to care. “You mean more to me than I can put into words, and I just can’t lose you now.”

He swallows hard and keeps talking, which is good because I’m not sure what to say.

“But what I said earlier was rude and inexcusable, and if you want me to go, I understand.”

I bite my lip and watch his handsome face as emotions I can’t put a name to cross his face.

“Why did you assume that I was deliberately withholding information?”

He closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“Because betrayal is more common in my life than I like to admit. Because the man my ex-wife fucked around with was my business partner, who happened to hide a lot of money from me. The business struggled needlessly for a long time because he wasn’t honest about his financial situation, and frankly, I’m not accustomed to honesty.

“I’m used to having to figure out the puzzle, and it pisses me off.”

“It pisses me off too,” I reply, still not touching him back. His shoulders slump in defeat.

“I know that you are not any of the people from my past, and it’s ridiculous that I would compare you to them, or allow those experiences to trigger my reactions to you.”

“Yes, but that’s called being a human being,” I reply, the mad gone from me now. “At least now you know I’m not a gold digger.”

His lips twitch.

“But, I wonder if it would make you more comfortable if I was?”

He tips his head to the side and he pushes his fingers in my dripping hair.

“No. I wouldn’t be more comfortable. I’m quite taken with you, just as you are. I’m deeply sorry for what I said earlier, Charlotte. I can’t promise that my baggage won’t make me screw up in the future, but I can promise that I’m learning from it. I won’t jump to conclusions again.”