“JJ?”
He nods.
“My friend JJ?”
He nods again. “That’s the one.”
“How did you… I don’t…”
Rex laughs. “I called and asked him to pack you a bag of comfortable clothes.”
“How did you get his number?”
“I have my ways.”
I don’t believe this. “And he just agreed? That doesn’t sound like JJ.”
“It took some convincing.”
“Convincing, huh?”
“He cares about you, Shae, and I can’t fault the guy for that. You make it easy. Now he knows there’s someone else who cares for you as well—although he did make me promise not to hurt you.”
“That’s a big promise.”
Grabbing my hand, Rex tugs me to standing. “I’m a big guy,” he whispers, reaching around to smack my ass. I yelp, and he grins again. “Now get dressed.”
I watch Rex’s ass as he goes to his closet and grabs a pair of jeans. After he slips them on, I rifle through my bag and start putting on my clothes.
“Shae?”
“Yeah?”
“Do JJ and Erin know about your parents, about what you told me last night?”
With my jeans around my ankles, I look up. “They know I was adopted, and they know a little about how my adoptive parents treated me, but they don’t know everything. Why? Did you say something to JJ?”
“No, I didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t do that. Whenever you talk to me, whatever you tell me, it stays between us. Always.”
His words make me happy.
Too happy.
The scared little girl buried inside of me jumps up, frantically raising her hands in the air, yelling at me not to trust anyone, but I quickly shove her to the side.
I’m tired of listening to her.
“One of these days I’ll teach you how to ride a bike for real, but for now, this’ll have to work.”
Lips parted, I stare at the tandem bike sitting in front of us. “We’re going on a bike ride?” I ask, a little too excitedly as a group of tourists stops to take a photo with the giant fountain behind us.
Rex smiles. “I’m guessing by your reaction that you’re okay with this.”
“So okay with this.”
I walk around the bike, gliding my fingers along the frame and up over the seat, and I don’t stop until I’m standing in front of Rex. With a hand blocking the sun, I look up.
“Where are we going to go?”