Dare to Take (Dare to Love 6)

These couple of days without her had been long enough.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat in the truck, window open, humidity slamming him in the face, trying not to doze off. He’d had little sleep last night, worrying about how Ella would handle the visit, from prison frisking to facing her dad. He reminded himself that she was stronger than she looked and had proven that to herself and to him, over and over again.

Finally, her white car pulled into the lot and turned into her spot, across from where he’d parked. He exited his SUV and leaned against the truck’s back end, arms folded across his chest while he waited for her to notice him.

He heard her car door slam, and she headed toward the building. She looked tired, dark circles under her eyes and tear stains on her cheeks, but still beautiful in his eyes. She appeared fragile—she wasn’t—but he still wanted to pull her into his arms, protect her, and never let her go.

First he had to convince her they were stronger together than apart.

She fumbled through her purse as she walked, not noticing him until she’d almost reached the front door of the apartment building.

“Hey,” he said.

“Tyler!” She stopped short and met his gaze, surprise in her exhausted expression, followed quickly by a pleased smile.

Not a bad start, he thought, considering she’d been the one to walk away from him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’ve been waiting for you to get home.”

“Oh. I was—” She cut herself off, and he’d bet she didn’t want to tell him where she’d gone. Alone. “Were you here long?” she asked him instead.

“I know where you were,” he said, unable to keep the concern from his voice. “Word travels fast in my family.”

She sighed. “Avery told you.”

“Indirectly, yes.”

She shook her head, clearly not surprised. “Well, if you’re going to yell at me for visiting the prison alone, let’s get out of this ridiculous humidity first.”

Clearly she knew him well. But he didn’t plan on yelling. Much. He inclined his head, and they stepped toward the door. He opened it for her and followed her up to her apartment, then inside. She placed her purse on the counter and flopped onto the sofa, completely wiped out.

He settled in by her side. “So how’d it go?” he asked.

She turned her head toward him, still resting against the back of the sofa, meeting his gaze. “It was sad. He’s obviously dying, and that hurts to see, but…” She trailed off, biting down on her lower lip.

He gave her some time, and when she didn’t continue, he nudged her with his knee. “But what?”

She lifted her head and curled her legs beneath her, facing him directly. “I don’t want you to think I’m cold or unfeeling but … I didn’t know the man I went to see. He wasn’t my dad. Not the man who loved me when I was younger.”

She rubbed her hands along her arms, and he ached to pull her into his. But she needed to tell him her story, and he had to give her the time to do it.

“I think … no, I know that I mourned him already.” Her eyes filled as she spoke, and he waited patiently, here for her if she needed him. “I lost my father when he remarried, and every time he did something to hurt me, I grieved again. Over and over until I shut off my feelings and learned to cope on my own.”

Unable not to touch her, he grasped her hand and ran his thumb over her wrist, extending his support the only way he could.

“I can understand that,” he said, thinking about his own life. “That’s how I feel about my father,” he admitted. “I don’t know him anymore and haven’t since that day I walked in on him with Savannah when I was fourteen years old.”

She smiled at him. “I figured you’d get it. The thing is, I spent all these years feeling angry at him and hurt. And all that did was impact my own life. I resented him, and I didn’t much like myself.” She shook her head, her sadness palpable. “While driving home, I thought back over my life, and I realized I cut myself off from people. From joy and happiness, afraid everyone would hurt me the way he did.”

“Except Avery,” Tyler said.

She nodded. “Except Avery … and until you.”

His breath hitched. Stopped. Then started again, along with the rapid beating of his heart. He didn’t want to read too much into those three words, but the organ inside his chest, the one she already owned, wasn’t listening.

“Avery came into my life when I was the loneliest. She’s a part of me. But you…” She scooted closer to him, bracing her hands on either side of his face, and met his gaze. “You’re the other half of my heart. You always have been.”