were flirting with me at the same time. It sent me mixed signals and reinforced things Simon told me.”
“I’ve never seen you as damaged. Not once. Anyone damaged couldn’t come to school day after day and face the world while wearing those invisible scars. The horror in your life growing up made you real and the most beautiful girl I know. Most girls pretend to be anyone but themselves. You have always been you. You never tried to be anyone but you.
“You’re incredibly resilient. You stood up to your parents, to your sister, to people at school, to social workers, to me. A truly damaged person couldn’t do that.”
Tears streak down my face as the truth of his words sinks in.
He swipes the tears away with his thumb, then runs his fingers through my hair to cradle my head. “You never took shit from me. Whatever I dished out, you gave back. I love that about you. Everyone else was quick appease me so I’d like them more. You thought for yourself and had your opinions without caring what other people thought of them.
“You’re this amazing force of nature that rushes over me when I’m with you. I truly love you, Sara Allison Jericho. Always and forever.
“I can’t promise I’ll never fuck up again. We both know I will. I can promise that I am and will be faithful to you. You mean too much to me to throw it all away.”
“I should have asked you about the other girls,” I say, rubbing my hands against my thighs. “You’re lucky to have a roommate who thinks of you as a brother.”
“What did Tommy say?”
“That I should keep an open mind and shouldn’t throw away the last four years. That if we’re getting married, we need to work through all the crap together. Hunter and Arissa agree with him.”
He grins. “Does this mean you’re willing to work through the crap?”
“Yes.”
He brings my hand up and kisses my palm. “Thank you, Parker.”
“You, Dad, and Hunter are the men I trust most in this world. No more secrets. All the cards on the table now. If you think I can’t handle it, just remember how resilient I am.”
“I promise. There’s nothing else.” He draws me onto his lap, cupping the back of my neck with his free hand and descending upon my mouth with fervor.
I run my hands into his hair and break away, shaking my head. “Too soon,” I say, climbing off his lap.
He doesn’t argue or attempt to tug me back to him. “The guys would love to see you if you want to come back with me tonight for a bit. Or tomorrow.”
“Tonight would probably be better if we’re going to leave early Thursday.”
Jason puts the leftovers away in the mini-fridge and his duffel in his room while Tommy and I lean against the wall outside talking.
“Seriously?” he asks.
“That’s why she won’t leave him alone. The other girl, Becky, wouldn’t leave us alone either. Which makes sense why now, but didn’t back then.”
“I’ll say.”
“Thanks again. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. Hell, my biological parents physically fought with each other and verbally abused each other. I didn’t exactly have great role models.”
“But you do now with your adoptive parents,” he states.
A woman in a white t-shirt and shorts blazes by. Tommy whips around and seizes her upper arm before she can get through the door. “Nuh uh. You’re not going in there,” he says to her.
“Tommy, I just want to talk to him,” she whines.
“No. You’re going to talk to her,” he says, pointing to me with his free hand.
“This is her?” I ask.
I take a closer look. Her eyelids are coated thick with eye shadow. The pink painting her cheek and lips is the wrong shade of bright on her. Her light brown eyes are lost behind the excessive eyeliner. Her dirt blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her bangs drop in a straight edge to her brow.
“Who is she? Why do I have to talk to her?” she asks.
I push off the wall and take a step towards her with my arms crossed, keeping my voice even. “Because I’m Jason’s fiancée and you’re trying to sabotage our relationship. If you don’t leave him alone, you’ll have to deal with me.”
Her jaw drops, then closes just as fast. She wrenches out of Tommy’s grasp and lifts her chin in the air.
“What’s going on?” Jason asks, stepping outside. Confusion transforms to