"What, no, that's not what I'm saying-"
"It's my dad, isn't it? You're ashamed because you're dating the notorious drug lord of Oak Valley's daughter, and it makes you look bad as a cop."
"You’re not your dad," I say dismissively, amused and offended by her heated responses.
"You're missing the point," she snaps, her dark brown eyes furious. "I like you. I care about you. I want to be with you, and I don't give a fuck what other people think."
That makes me pause for a beat. I don't know if either of us is aware of how deeply my feelings for her genuinely go. I am not in love with her, but I do care about her, deeply. Hell, I've known her, her entire life. Which might sound creepy, but you can't help how and when you meet people, I guess.
"Lucy, I care about you. I do," I say, a bit moved by the half-naked girl in front of me. "I just want to keep you safe and happy. I don't want life to become harder for you. Your life has been hard enough as it is. You don't need me making it any more difficult," I say, pulling my shirt back on and watching the sadness cloud her eyes.
"Don't tell me what I do or don't need. I know what I need. I need you; God damn it!" She shouts.
"This was a mistake, Lucy," I sigh, not being able to bear looking at her.
"Well, if this is a mistake, it's already been made, and we need to live with it."
I look into her eyes again, emotion filling me. Feelings I haven’t had for anyone in a long time.
"Lucy," I whisper, holding her face in my hands, enjoying the soft feel of it. "I care about you. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Then don't be the one who hurts me," she whispers, tears brimming in her eyes, threatening to spill down her lovely face.
How could I have been so careless? How could I have spoiled this moment for her? I will never forgive myself if I leave her in the woods devastated after she gave herself to me.
"Okay, Lucy," I whisper, kissing her softly. "I would never hurt you on purpose."
She doesn’t say anything. She just sits there and watches me, waiting for me to break her heart.
"We can't tell people. I don't want people to know. Not yet."
"Okay," she says, nodding and sniffling. "I can live with that."
"This probably goes without saying... but please don't tell Charlie. When the time comes for us to tell people, I think I should tell her. I don't want to upset her either."
She nods thoughtfully, "That makes sense."
"Okay," I say, smiling now. "So, Lucy,"
"Yes?" she asks, breathless, never taking her eyes from mine.
"Are we together then?"
She laughs, a quick burst that has me laughing too. It's so good to see her smile again.
"Yes, Kenton, I'll be your girlfriend."
"Good," I say, smiling at her. "We should have ground rules."
"Like what?" she asks, her brows knit together as she slides her sundress back over her shoulders.
"Well, for one thing, we don't tell anyone for right now. We won't tell anyone until we both agree it's the right time. We'll just have this to ourselves. I don't want other people's opinions to hinder our relationship."
"Okay," she agrees.
"In public, we'll continue to call each other by our formal names 'Chief Traverse' and Miss Knight'."
She nods again, agreeing.