shop looking like this. And if I go to any of the family, they’ll immediately hate Simon.
Which he deserves.
It’s begun to rain outside, cooling the warm afternoon air. So I pull on my running outfit and shoes and leave the house.
I need to run and think and clear my head. Simon is still standing in the living room when I pass by.
“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