of us need something different than Quinn and Delaney.”
I didn’t want to ask because I was afraid I already knew the answer, but I found my lips forming the question before I could stop it.
“And what’s different about us?”
“Like Mom, we found ourselves men who need us. Not like Carter needs Laney or Brice needs Quinn. Mom taught the two of us something different, she taught us to feel deep, to see past the surface and into the heart of someone. And, Addy, Mom also passed down something else important—the tools we need to heal the men that we would eventually find.”
Damn if Hadley wasn’t right. Mom gave me and Hadley something a little more than she gave our sisters. Delaney had Mom’s inner strength. Quinn was all Dad, she had his determination. Hadley also had parts of Dad in her, but I was all Emily Walker. Mom had found herself a man who had demons and she didn’t delay in eradicating what would take him from her. Mom saw a broken man and there was a driving force in her that needed to fix him. I’d known all my life I had that in me, too. I needed to be needed. It was essential to who I was. I wasn’t needy, but I felt so deep, cared so much, loved so hard, I sought out a certain type of man.
A man like my father—strong, bold, protective, who had a soft spot, a vulnerability that my mom had to protect.
No man will live up to Jasper Walker. In your eyes, no man will ever love you like he does.
Crap.
Jake was right.
I did compare all men to my father. But Jake was wrong about one thing, one day I would find a man who loved me. Not the same as my dad loved me—the same way my dad loved my mom. And I wouldn’t apologize for wanting that. My parents’ love was timeless. It was full of ups and downs, twists and turns, heartache and happiness. They were unshakable.
One day I would find that.
One day I would find a man I could love like my mom loved my dad. And I wouldn’t stop until I did.
“He thinks he’s an asshole,” I repeated. “I hate that he thinks that. But I’m so scared to commit to what I’m feeling because I’m not sure I’m as strong as you think I am.”
“You are.”
“He thinks I’m…he said…” I stopped myself from telling her any more of what he said. It felt like a betrayal, a breach of the fragile trust Trey had given me. “I feel like he’s put me on a pedestal and now I’m looking down and the fall would be painful.”
“He’ll catch you.”
I looked at Hadley and narrowed my eyes.
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m totally helping. Climb up that pedestal he built for you, Addy, and stand tall and proud. You deserve to be there. Or jump off it and Trey will catch you. I know he will. Trust him the way he’s trusted you. It’s gonna be hard though. I’ll bet you a hundred bucks, by tomorrow he’ll have come up with reasons to push you away.”
Just when I’d started to relax at my sister’s adamant proclamation I could trust Trey, she went and freaked me out. No, scratch that, freaked me way the heck out. Freaked me out so badly, my palms started to sweat and I felt the muscles in my shoulders bunch.
“What?” I stammered.
“What, what? You’re not new, Addy. You were right there with the rest of us watching Carter’s decades-long battle with Delaney. That boy made an art out of pushing her away. Quinn and Brice started as a fuck buddy arrangement—which is hilarious that Brice fell for that line of BS from our sister. As if she would’ve ever really agreed to that. When Brice caught on to her game, he bailed like a scared rabbit. And it took Brady four years to give in to what he was feeling, and even after that, I had to stand my ground and force him to open his damn eyes. He didn’t run, but boy did he shut me out. Point is, you’ve seen it time and time again, the struggle to wrangle these men into facing their fears. What I’m telling you is you have it in you to stay the course and win the prize, but you have to stand strong. Shore up your defenses and don’t let him give in to his fear.”