Southern Secrets (Southern #7) - Natasha Madison Page 0,77

come back."

"He’s right," Quinn says. "And I never say Mayson is right. It actually physically pains me to say he’s right."

"I don’t want to hurt her," I say, and they both get it. "What if she wants to see me and I’m not here?"

"Then I’ll call you, and you can get here in under four minutes," Mayson says and tosses me his keys. "Go, and I swear if anything, and I mean anything, happens, I’ll call you."

"I can’t go,” I tell them the truth. “I just can’t.”

“At least hide the truck,” he says, and I nod at him. Quinn turns and goes to his truck and leaves, and I pack the two bags into the truck.

I spend the night watching the house, wondering if she is okay. I spend the night sitting on the porch, hoping I can get a glimpse of her if she wakes up. When the sun comes up, the front door opens, and I spring out of my chair, my heart beating out of my chest and my hand itching to hold her.

The door opens, and Chelsea comes out with two cups of coffee in her hand. "Figured you would still be here," she says, handing me a cup.

"How is she?" I ask, looking over her shoulder, hoping to see her. Hoping to talk to her and tell her how sorry I am. Hoping like fuck she can forgive me somehow.

"She just went to bed," she says. "She was up all night looking at the ceiling in her bedroom, and then she decided she didn’t want to sleep in her bed. So she got up and tried to sleep on the couch and then didn’t want to lie there." She takes a sip of her coffee. "I’ve never seen her like this. She’s usually the strong one." The burning in my stomach starts to form.

"The last thing I want to do is hurt her," I tell Chelsea, and she smiles at me sadly.

"I don’t know how you are going to make her forgive you," she answers me honestly. "But if it matters, I’m rooting for you." I smile sadly. "Not for you but for her. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to have a man by her side who isn’t going to fuck her over. She deserves for someone to carry her burden for once and not that she carries it on her own."

The lump in my throat forms again, and I know that I’m that man. I’m the man she needs. I want to be that man for her. I would do anything for her. "I’ll die fighting," I say, handing her back the coffee. "I have to go, but I’ll be back."

"We got her," she says, and her words hurt me more than I can describe, more than I can say.

I make a pit stop before heading to Jacob’s house. Pulling up at the barn, I can see the light on inside, and I know he’s already here. I get out of the truck, and the tightness in my neck is just as bad as the tightness in my stomach.

He walks out of the barn with a cup of coffee in his hand. His jeans and plaid shirt are like a uniform with his cowboy hat.

“Hey, Billy,” I say, and I can see from the way he looks at me that he knows. “I was wondering if you had a minute,” I say, and he just nods his head. “I’m sorry,” I tell him, “for not being honest with you about who I was.”

“You had your reasons,” Billy says, bringing the cup to his mouth. “Knew you were hiding something.” My eyes search his. “Knew the minute I looked in your eyes. I just didn’t know what it was.”

“I should have just come out and told you right away,” I admit. “You guys accepted me and gave me more than anyone has ever given to me, and I should have done things differently.”

“I knew you would tell me eventually.” He smirks. “I didn’t think it would be this.” He takes a sip of his coffee.

“Go big or go home,” I joke with him and shake my head.

“You’re a good man, Asher,” he tells me. “Regardless of who shares your blood.”

“Thank you,” I tell him. “Coming from you, it means everything. She’ll never forgive me.” I wait now, and he takes a deep breath.

“I reckon with time she will,” he says, but his tone is not convincing. “She didn’t shoot you. That’s a good