Wyatt-1(Lane Brothers, Book 1)(30)

That’s the last I hear before running back to the living room and diving back onto the sofa. The movie is almost over and I don’t have a clue what it was about. I do know that Wyatt is afraid to tell me the truth about something that involves me, and that’s scarier than waking up that first morning.

He comes in a few minutes later and kisses me softly before silently taking my hand and leading me out of the room and up the stairs.

“Wyatt?”

“Not yet, Ellie. We need privacy and I need to talk to you about a few things.”

He’s so somber that I hold my words in until we reach the master bedroom and he closes and locks the door before pulling me close and kissing me so desperately, my ribs creak at his strength.

“Wyatt? What’s going on?”

My shaky voice is soft in the silent room, and he pushes me back to sit on the corner of the bed before taking a few steps back and facing me.

“We need to leave here today, because I just found out some things that lead me to believe that we may be in danger. Shh, baby, I’ll explain everything later, I promise. For now, I need you to trust me. If nothing else, please believe that anything I’ve done or will do will always be to keep you safe.”

Nerves make me tremble and I stiffen my spine against the shaking that threatens to overwhelm me.

“You’re scaring me.”

He drops to his knees in front of me and grasps my face between his hands, his eyes so earnest and loving, I can almost see myself letting go and falling head over heels for this man.

“Never be afraid when I’m near, baby, because I would never let anything bad happen to you. I swear it,” he vows, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. “I have something to tell you that you may not like, but if you just give me a chance to explain, I’ll try to tell you why I’ve done what I’ve done.”

If I weren’t sitting down, I’d probably be on my ass, my knees have gone so weak, so all I do is nod, not trusting my voice at this point.

I can handle just about anything, I think, but I’m terrified that he’ll tell me something bad and then send me back to my old life.

“I told you that I’ve been watching you and that I fell for you a long time ago.”

“Yes.”

“What I didn’t tell you is that I watched you from afar to make sure you were okay after you got out of the hospital.”

What? But that was four years ago…

“I don’t understand. You saw me in the diner and I shot you down and then you started watching me.”

Wyatt curses beneath his breath and stands, pacing for a few seconds as if needing the space to gather his thoughts.

“No, Ellie. I was keeping tabs on you for a lot longer than that, and then tried to approach you in the diner. When that didn’t work, I took you. For many reason, least of all being that I was tired of watching you fade away.”

“Explain.”

I have a feeling I won’t like what he’s about to say, but I prepare to hear whatever it is that seems to be tripping him up.

“I watched to make sure you were okay after what Bolton did to you, because I felt responsible, Ellie. Bolton, he was…my cousin.”

I think my mind tries to shut down when those words sink in, because my vision blinks on and off for a second or two before I expel my breath and feel my body all but collapse to the floor on my knees.

“Your cousin?”

No, that’s not possible. Wyatt is kind and funny and has weird taste in movies and I like him so much. How can this great person be related to the man who not only mentally scarred me, but almost killed me?

He’s standing still as a statue, almost as if he’s terrified to move any closer or touch me in case I crack and start screaming. I want to when all the negative feelings I’ve been keeping at bay start pounding on the door they’re locked behind.

I hold it together and keep my eyes on him, letting it all sink in as my mind starts working. He’s Bolton’s cousin, related by blood, his family.

But he and the wolf pack of nutters he has downstairs are nothing like that freak and I know it like I knew that my family would want me to live.

The knowledge is more than a feeling, more than just my attempt to tell myself these things to comfort my fragile mind.

Was this what he was so afraid of? Telling me that his cousin…

“Wait. Is this why I’m here? You feel guilty about what he did? Because if you’re trying to sacrifice yourself and your happiness by pretending to love me and—”

“No! No, baby, no,” he mutters, finally coming forward and falling to his knees in front of me. “I love you, that part is and always will be true, I swear. I just, I knew that wanting you was wrong because that animal was my cousin, and chances were that you’d hate me…I really did want to leave you alone, Ellie, but I couldn’t. Call me selfish, whatever, but I couldn’t stay away from you anymore.”