Alpha Hero - Hope Ford Page 0,58

probably blood.”

He nods his head and before I can stop him, he’s got me on the bed beside him. He gets up and it’s obvious he’s in pain by the way he’s hobbling to the bathroom. He comes right back and puts his hands on my knees, pushing them apart. I raise up on my elbows. “Brian?”

He has a washcloth in one hand and he shows it to me. He cleans me and even the gentle touch has me flinching under his hand.

He tosses the cloth into the hamper and lies down beside me. I snuggle against him. My mind is working a mile a minute. Should I get up and leave? Should I go back to my room?

As if sensing my thoughts, his arms tighten around me. “Don’t leave me, Kendall.”

I burrow further into him, resting my head on his chest. I have so many questions, but sleep finds me.

8

Kendall

I wake up before the sun is even up. I feel the bed next to me, but it’s cold and empty. I raise up on my arms and look around the room. Brian is sitting on the edge of the bed. The muscles of his back are bunched up and his head is in his hands.

“Brian?” I ask him.

His body stiffens, but he doesn’t answer me. I get up from the bed, and remembering my nakedness, I pull on his sweatshirt that’s lying on the floor. I stand in front of him, wanting to comfort him, but worried that maybe he wants me gone. Maybe he’s waiting on me to leave. It’s times like this that I wish I had more experience.

“Do you want me to leave?” I ask him quietly.

His head jerks up and I can see the pain in his face.

He shakes his head. “No. If it was up to me, you’d never leave.”

His words hit me and I drop to the soft carpet on my knees in front of him. “Then what’s wrong?”

“I should—we shouldn’t have done what we did, Kendall. I took advantage of you. Your dad trusted you with me and what did I do? I betrayed him.” His voice is rough and filled with emotion.

“No. I think if my dad could have chosen for me to be with someone, it would have been you,” I tell him honestly.

He cups my jaw. “You’re sweet to think that, but your dad wouldn’t have wanted me anywhere near you.”

I start to say something, but then I remember the letter. The letter that my dad left me. I don’t know why I brought it with me, but right now, I’m so glad I did. I tell him I’ll be right back and then run to the guest room, rummaging through my suitcase and throwing all the stuff out to get to it.

As soon as I have it in my hands, I run back to him, flipping on the light. I go back to my spot on the floor and hand it to him.

He takes it and asks me, “What is this?”

“It’s a letter my dad left me. Read it.”

He unfolds the worn page easily and starts scanning it. I scoot to the side so I can see it too.

Dearest Kendall,

If you’re reading this letter, it means I’ve left you. I hope you know that leaving you is one of the last things I would ever want to do. I love you so much and I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.

I’m writing this on the day you graduate high school. You’re an adult and you’re graduating with honors. I can’t even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. You are an amazing person with a huge heart.

I want you to live your life on your terms. Whatever you want, I want you to go for it. And remember it doesn’t matter what other people think, if it makes you happy, it’s worth it. (Just so you know if it’s something hard and you really have to work for it, then it’s definitely worth it.)

I know you’re probably wondering why I left Brian over your inheritance. I have no doubt that he will always be there for you. I know you are responsible enough to make the best decisions, but you know me. There’s a reason why I do everything. I left Brian over your inheritance because I wanted you to see and be a witness over how a man treats a woman. I know without a doubt he will love you, treat you with