“ I know this isn’t about more than the twins, not really? So what is it about?” Her breaths shortened, and she clutched at her throat. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him as he led her to the couch.
“Put your head between your legs and breathe deep. You’re going to hyperventilate. Do you have an inhaler?” He went into Marine mode dealing with the issue at hand. There was something extremely wrong here.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” The quiver of her lips said otherwise. “When I saw them at the end of the bed and she started to taunt me…it brought back bad memories.”
“Peter?” He ached to wrap his fingers around the man’s neck. He’d avoided digging into the man’s identity until now. Because once he had an address, it’d be a matter of time until he paid the motherfucker a visit. He had a feeling whatever Juliette said now would tip him over the scale to the “I don’t give a fuck who this asshole is” zone.
“He liked to make me watch him with other women. It got him off, and when that stopped, things got ugly.” She rubbed her robe between her fingers. Her eyes darted around the room.
“Fuck, baby. I didn’t know.”
“I-I know. I’m not pissed at you for having a colorful past. “ She shook her head. “I’m not a child or ignorant. I know who you are. It’s just, in that moment all I could remember was how inadequate I felt. I couldn’t please him as is. And they were always so small. Petite dolls with pale skin. It made me wonder why he was with me. He wanted me to join, but I couldn’t…I couldn’t.” She pressed her hands to her mouth like a small child afraid of getting into trouble for being too loud. “He wanted me to be like them. I tried. I really did. But I could never.” Her chest heaved once more and he removed her hands.
“Juliette. That bastard was sick. There was a hole inside of him no one could ever fill. Was he your first boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
“He preyed on that. I’ve known men like that. They can’t handle how out of control their life is, so they focus on someone else.” Shooter shook his head.
“I know. I know that now. I’m not a complete basket case. This is just my first time attempting a relationship since. Things triggered when I didn’t expect them to.”
“Well to be fair, the situation was far from normal.” He snorted, choking back the chuckle that wanted to crawl up his throat and escape. “I understand you needing space, but I can’t handle a disappearing act. I need communication… Jesus, you got me sounding like a pussy.” He shook his head.
“It’s okay to have feelings.”
“I don’t think I like the role reversal.”
She snickered. “I didn’t much like climbing out of a bathroom window like a deranged hooker.”
He released a bark of laughter. “I feel that. So we’re good?”
“Yeah. We’re good. I’ll try to let you know when I’m flipping out.”
“I’d say I’d try to be less domineering but it’d be a lie.”
She snorted. “You’re lucky you’re so pretty…”
“The word you’re looking for is manly.”
“Dashing, chivalrous?”
“Careful with that fancy talk—your learning is showing.”
“I am a librarian.”
“Speaking of that…Prez said he liked you, told me to bring the librarian around more often. I think you got yourself a nickname.”
“Really?” she whispered.
“Yeah. You might be stuck with more than just me before it’s said and done.” She giggled. “What?”
“Just imagining a group of you coming into the library.”
The laughter replaced the sadness. He made a mental note to look up Peter Stant.
“You’ve seen into my wounds, but I know you have your own. Why did you chase me?”
He sighed. “Because once I didn’t fight hard enough to keep something precious and it made me lose everything.”