Page 27 of The Revenge You Seek

"So I wouldn't hurt him?" His brows draw together in confusion. "That's fucked up, Let."

"No, you idiot. I don't give a shit about protecting him. I was protecting you."

"What?" He jumps up and reaches for me, stopping me from wearing the floor out and forces me to stop in front of him.

He's a whole foot taller than me at six-four and he stoops down so he can look into my eyes.

"How badly do I need to hurt him?"

"No, Luc. No." I throw my hands up in exasperation. "I don't want you in the middle of this. That's the whole point. You need to focus on the game, on your future."

"Fuck that, Let. I'm not letting him get away with hurting you. That's bullshit."

"He hasn't hurt me."Not for eighteen months anyway.

Luca's brows rise in suspicion.

"Please, Luc. Just stay out of it. It's not your fight."

Lifting his hands, he cups my cheeks and I can't help but lean into his heat. He always makes me feel so safe and secure.

"If he hurts you, then he hurts me, Let. I wish you'd told me this years ago."

I shrug. "It doesn't matter," I say, trying to play it down.

"It really fucking matters."

Leaning in, he presses his lips to my forehead and wraps his arms around me.

His scent and warmth surround me and I soon lose myself in the feeling of his hard body against mine.

"You're my girl, Letty. I'll do anything for you."

"I know," I mumble against his chest, tears filling my eyes faster than I want them to.

I can't cry. I'm scared that if I allow myself to do that again then I might not stop.

I swallow down the giant lump in my throat and pull back from him.

"Thank you," I whisper, staring up into his soft eyes, needing him to know how much I appreciate his support. "I'm sorry I allowed us to lose each other."

"Me too."

He pulls me into him once more and drops his lips to the top of my head.

* * *

"He just let him walk onto the team," Luca says when I return with a drink for each of us a while later. I know our time is running out, he needs to get to practice but now I've got him alone, I don't want to let him go.

"Can he do that? Isn't there protocols to follow or something?" I ask because really, I have no clue about any of it. I've tried to remember all the things Luca and Leon have attempted to explain to me about football over the years but mostly it goes in one ear and out the other.

"Yeah, you'd think. Coach is adamant that it's all above board. He's planning on making him first string. He's going to be playing alongside Leon and me. Fucking joke."

"He is good," I say, after taking a sip of my water. "What?" I ask when he stares at me as if he wants me to go up in flames. "You know it's true. You've said it yourself before now."

"Ugh." He drops his head into his hands and pushing his fingers through his hair, dragging it back painfully from his face. "I know, I know. I just wish I wasn't blindsided by this."

"You need him, don't you?" It's no secret that the Panther's best wide receiver opted to enter the draft early in the spring and got snapped up to play for… someone. I have no clue where he went other than he went.