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I glance at him curiously and hand it over without opening it. If he wants to be nosy, he’ll need the code to get in.

He takes it, flipping it over to take in my raccoon case with a smirk. Then he sets it on silent and puts it face down on the table beside us. Not curious about what’s been said, just taking the distraction away.

I should have done that first thing this morning. I wouldn’t be in such a mess if I had.

I’ve always tried to be available in case anyone ever needs my help. It never occurred to me to simply close that avenue off for a breather. That simple action has caused a lot of the tension I never noticed before to ease away.

“I’ve never seen you sad before,” he comments, making me wince.

Having a guy who calls you something as seductive assirenwitnessing you be pathetic is more than a little embarrassing.

“We’ve known each other, what? A week?” I try to make it a joke, but he keeps his intense stare on. I sound too defensive.

“What can I do to ease it?”

I raise my brows in confused surprise. He’s not calling me out on being whiny, and he doesn’t think he can magically fix my problems. He just wants to lighten the load to make it more bearable.

That offer alone has me melting into mush for him.

“You offering to take some weight from my shoulders,cher?” I lean forward with a fond smile.

He follows my move, bracing his elbows on his knees. He stops when our faces are an inch apart. His intensity is focused only on me, and he isn’t joking around.

“Yes. I’m right here when you need me. Even if you don’t, I’ll be here.”

My heart skips. Where has this blatantly honest man been all my life? Does he rehearse all his perfect words, or is this unscripted? Either way, he’s got me hooked. I’ll help him practice his lines any day.

“You fight dirty,” I whisper with wide eyes.

“How?” He asks, his brow lowering a little. Not mad, but ready to go there.

“By saying all your perfect words to me,” I smile, unable to hold it back anymore. “Where did you come from, Poe Richards?”

“You haven’t looked me up online?” He asks in a bitter taunt that makes my smile drop.

I wasn’t expecting this verbal bop on the nose. His expression has shifted from open to closed in an instant. The sudden change makes me wary.

“What does that mean?” I lean back, confused at the sudden twist. “Why would I do that?”

“Wait,” he grabs my chair between my knees as if he thinks I’m going to roll away from him. My quick withdrawal is something he doesn’t want.

He’s looking between my eyes with his own confusion. That closed expression has been shocked off of him. “You haven’t, have you?”

I raise a brow, suddenly wary of this man I have an unseen connection to.

“I’m sorry,” his bitterness breaks in half to reveal panic. “Old memories took over for a second. I’m sorry.”

Old memories? Has he had an ex bring up dirt from his past to torture him with?

If he’s expecting me to be the same, he’sverywrong. It’s insulting.

Before I get too mad, I think about his instant reaction and his honest freak-out over it. This is his first defense when someone gets too close to whatever happened to him, just like Asher’s freeze-out.

And it lets me know that his tragedy got put out there for strangers to judge online. I can’t imagine the agony that caused.

I cup his face in my hands, still wary but concerned now.

“Whatever is going on, it’s ok. It’s just a knee-jerk reaction. No problem,cher. I won’t go overboard and get snippy about a touchy subject unless it becomes a big problem between us. Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever looked up someone I want to date before. Now that I think about it, my teen days have a lot of incriminating evidence online. I don’t want someone seeing my pimples and braces phase any more than the next girl.”