Page 41 of High Rise Secrets

“We all make mistakes, Addy. No one’s perfect.” I continue rubbing soothing circles on her leg.

She nods but goes back to looking out the window as we pass through a small town. “Up here on your left,” she says, pointing to a small row of shops. I pull into an empty spot, and we walk into the flower shop. The bell above the door rings, and an elderly woman smiles warmly at us.

“Addison, your call surprised me. Isn’t it a bit early for you to come for a visit?”

“Hi, Mrs. Dickerson. Yeah, a change of plans this year.” She takes my hand in hers and gives me a warm smile, the first one I’ve seen from her today.

“Oh, and who is this handsome man?” The elderly woman smiles at Addy and extends her hand for me.

“I’m Ethan Freeman, her boyfriend.” It dawns on me as I say it, we haven’t formally discussed labels. I glance at her from the corner of my eye, but she doesn’t seem taken aback by my response. Instead, her smile widens.Guess she likes the idea as much as I do.

The woman gasps as her smile spreads wider. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, dear. I’m glad to see Addison has found herself a nice man.” She looks between us one more time and heads to the fridge to pull out three floral arrangements. She places them on the counter, and Addy leans down, smelling the irises.

I hand the woman my card to pay for them, and Addy opens her mouth to argue. I place my finger over her lips and give her a warm smile. “Let me take care of this for you.” She swallows thickly and nods her head.

We get back into the car, and she gives me directions to the cemetery next. When we pull up along the set of three gravestones, she takes a shuddering breath before pushing open the car door. I’ve known this woman professionally for a few years, and she has never once shown her emotions like they are on display right now.

She looks back at me when I make no move to get out. I know this was a hard decision for her to make, allowing me to come. “Do you mind waiting for a few minutes?”

“I’ll be here if you need me.”

She nods and closes the door. I watch her place the flowers by the three graves and remove some weeds from around the gravesite. She kneels on the green grass, talking quietly to them. I wonder if she tells them about her life and what has been going on. How many of her secrets has she confided in these heavy pieces of marble? Do they know them all or does she hide from them as well?

She drops her head to her chest, and her body shakes.Shit.I step out and wrap my arms around her, pulling her against my chest. Her sobs rip through the quiet surrounding us, exposing the tremendous turmoil she keeps bottled up. My girl is so brave in front of everyone, but here... here, she can be herself. She can let all the hurt and frustration go.

I rub the back of her head and sway gently, whispering soothing words in her ear, wishing I could take her pain away. I would do anything to take this pain from her and make it my own. She grips me tightly, pulling me even closer to her as her tears stain the front of my shirt. The way her body ripples under my grasp displays the true agony she feels at being here.

After a few more minutes, I ask, “Want to tell me about it?” She shakes her head and takes a deep breath, burying her face in my neck and holding on to me as if I’m her lifeline.

“Shh, baby girl, it’s okay.” I stroke her back. Slowly, her body relaxes in my embrace. She takes one more deep breath before looking up into my face. Her green eyes are bright with tears, and I swipe under her eyes, removing some mascara. Her face is a little puffy from all the crying, but even still, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

She pulls away to wipe her own face, saying with a chuckle, “God, I’m such a hot mess,” trying to play it off as a joke.

“Addison, don’t.” She tilts her head and furrows her brows in confusion. “Don’t act like you shouldn’t be upset by this. This is your family—your mom, dad, and brother. Don’t push this pain down. Get it out. I’ll be here for you, however you need me, or I can leave you alone for a bit.”

My heart races when she looks like she’s going to cry again.Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to tell her.Is this when she pushes me away?

“We got into a big fight. I stormed out of the house to go visit my boyfriend.” The tears start falling down her face again as she looks up to the blue sky, blinking the water away. “I told my mom I hated her.” She chuckles, but it’s full of malice. “I wasmadat her because she wouldn’t buy me a pair of boots I saw at the store that I loved. They were too expensive.Howselfish is that?”

I take her hands in mine, rubbing the backs of them, urging her to continue. “It’s not selfish. You were a teenager. I have two sisters, remember?” I point out. “You loved her. She knew that.”

“She was always buying Oliver, my brother, stuff for soccer, and I felt like I never got anything I wanted.” She turns to look at her mom’s headstone. “I know it’s not true. She bought me almost everything I asked for.” She turns to look at me again, a fresh wave of tears streaming down her face. “I cooled down and was ready to apologize, but as I turned down the street, I saw the fire and all the trucks surrounding the house.

“I pushed through a few of the firemen, rushing into the house to look for them, but I couldn’t get to them. There was too much smoke. Someone rushed in after me and carried me out, back to safety. If I didn’t get mad at her, I would have died with them that day. I would have been with my family. It would have been tragic, but I wouldn’t have to live with thisguiltevery fucking day.” Her voice cracks as more tears fall down her face.

I pull her to me, hugging her as tight as I possibly can, trying to take away some of the guilt and burden she has put on herself. Addison Snyder is one of the strongest women I have ever met. I don’t think I would have survived the shit she went through and still come out on top. She’s a fighter and should be damn proud of where she is in her life—no matter the way she got here.

“Thank you,” I whisper into her hair before I kiss her head. “Thank you for sharing your family with me.”

“Ethan, can we go to the room for a little bit?”

She must be exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster she’s been on since we got here. I couldn’t deny this girl anything right now, even if I wanted to. I help her stand and get into the car.

“You told Mrs. Dickerson you were my boyfriend. Is that how you see us?”

No point in lying to her, not after the hell she’s just gone through.“Yeah, Addy, I do.”

“I have a lot of scars,” she warns.