Read Online Unmistakeable by Abby Reynolds - Free Book Online Page B

to his sister and I never pressured him to reveal it.
    “I should probably tell you…”
    “You don’t have to. It’s none of my business.”
    “But you’re my girlfriend now. It’s different.”
    “Okay.” I interlocked my fingers with his.
    He sighed before he began. “I never committed to a girl before because I was having too much fun to settle down. But then when I found out what happened to my sister, I realized I could never be with anyone. The idea of loving someone so much and getting hurt…was unbearable. What happened to Livia ripped me apart, but what if it happened to my wife? I couldn’t stand it…”
    I knew this was bad. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.
    “She was raped.”
    My heart squeezed painfully. It was a fate I’d never want for myself or anyone else.
    “She was given drugs and then tied up…and I was an ass to her when I didn’t know. I always teased her for not going out or being social. I was a dick to her and I wish I wasn’t.”
    “You didn’t know…” I squeezed his hand.
    “She asked me to treat her the same and not look at her as a victim. But honestly, everything is different. I hate myself for what happened. I should have protected her.”
    “Did they catch the guy who did it?”
    “No…she said she doesn’t remember who it was.”
    I moved my face close to his and tried to comfort him. “I’m sorry.”
    “When I started to care for you, I got scared. I didn’t want to feel this pain again if something happened to you. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t. The feelings ran their course until I couldn’t shake them. Now I’m obsessed with you. I’d kill myself if something ever happened to you. And I promise it never will.”
    “I know, Ash.”
    “So if I’m protective of you, it comes from a good place.”
    I cupped his face and kissed him. “I know.”
    He pulled me close to him, as close as I could get. He held me for a long time, saying nothing as we sat on the couch of my apartment. His fingers moved through my hair then down my back. “Can I sleep with you tonight?”
    “You don’t need to ask.”
    “Then I want to sleep with you every night.”
    “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
    He placed a kiss on my neck then lifted me from the couch, taking me in the bedroom. He set me on the bed then leaned over me. “Get dressed. I’ll be right back.”
    I didn’t want to get dressed. If anything, I wanted to get undressed. “Okay.”
    He left the apartment then walked to his, probably to change into his sleepwear.
    I changed into a loose nightdress then waited for him to return. When minutes passed and he didn’t walk in, I knew something was wrong. I walked into the living room and saw him stare at my desk. He wore sweatpants and a t-shirt.
    I stared at him for a moment, watching him. “What are you doing?”
    He grabbed a picture and held it up. “Can I have this?”
    I came closer to him to inspect what it was. It was a picture of me on the beach. I was staring at the ocean, a strip of sunblock on my nose. It was a picture I wasn’t fond of. “Why?”
    “Because I love it.”
    “But I look…sad.”
    “No, you look real. That’s the look you get when you’re thinking about something meaningful, feeling something. It’s a look you’ve given me countless times. Please let me have it.”
    How could I say no to him? “Sure.”
    “Thank you.” He set it on the table next to my door so he would grab it on his way out. “I know where I’m going to put it.”
    I didn’t ask where.
    He looked down at me, seeing the dress that reached my knees. I didn’t wear a bra, and that was probably noticeable to him. But I never slept in one. It was too uncomfortable.
    His eyes darted back to my eyes. “You look…beautiful.”
    I washed my make up off and my dress wasn’t tight. I didn’t think I looked beautiful. But maybe I was wrong. “Thanks…”
    He stepped toward me then wrapped his arms around my waist. His hand gripped the