I Love You Twice (Falling For Him Contemporary Romance Series Book 7) by Jessica Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

weird. They don’t understand my emotional connection towards those animals. Their beauty and airiness. Usually people are just ‘Oh, insects?’ But not you. You are different.”
    “I had that same attitude towards insects. But when you showed the dragonfly to me, it was so beautiful, and it reminded me of the fairy in Peter Pan. Tinkerbell . Beautiful, elusive, and magical. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it had a little magic wand and asked me to make three wishes.”
    Dean got to his feet and reached down to help her up. He stowed his camera around and then pulled her into his arms. Looking into her eyes, he asked, “What would you wish for?”
    Melissa stared into his warm blue gaze and felt like he was trying to see into her soul! Normally, she’d have been reluctant to tell something so personal aloud. Because her wish was so personal, she normally would have kept it hidden away, burying the hurt and events that had caused her so much grief! But not with him. When he pulled her into his arms, she suddenly had a desire to tell him everything.
    “For a family.” Melissa felt the tears fill her eyes and tried to stem them by sniffing several times. “A family full of love”
    Dean could see the hurt in her eyes and quickly pulled her closer to his chest, “You’re safe with me. Do you want to tell me about it?”
    She nodded, sobbing openly now as she gave up being strong for the moment and gave herself permission to let her emotions out. She buried her head into his shoulder and cried in his arms.
    After a long while, the sobbing slowly faded away and she found her voice. “I’m not sure my parents ever loved me. I’m not sure they even loved each other. They were always fighting and screaming at each other. And I never could do anything right. I wanted so desperately to have them love me. But they never gave me so much as a word of praise.
    It grew worse when my father started drinking. He started to hit me when he was drunk. It could be for anything. I was too noisy. I came home too late. The food was too cold. It didn’t really have to be anything. Whenever he became enraged, he beat me up. I learned to tell his moods pretty quickly and would do my best to disappear without a noise when he was in a rage.”
    Dean clenched his fist next to his side. He wanted to hit her father in his face! How could he beat up his defenseless daughter!
    Melissa noticed the tension in his shoulders and looked up at him. She could see the rage in his face. The clenched jaws. His inability to relax. She slightly brushed his clenched fist with her finger. “That was a long time ago.”
    Dean looked at her, brushed her tender face with his hand, “I promise that I won’t let anyone harm you or Happy ever again.”
    Melissa was moved by his words. If only the story ended there. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Please I’m not finished yet. I have to tell you everything, because you need to know it all. I want to be honest with you. And tell you what I’ve never told anyone else so far. Not even Annie and Hugh.”
    “My angel. I don’t want you to cry again. But if it helps, tell me, I’m listening.”
    She nodded and continued, “I started spending more and more time away from home when school was out. I was so hungry for acceptance and trying to find love that I thought attraction and lust was the same as love. I met a boy who was year ahead of me in school named Ric. He paid me a lot of attention in the beginning and made me feel loved. I’d never felt that way before.”
    The memories were painful. But she knew she had to come clear. To wipe the slate clean. To have a future with Dean, based on trust and honesty.
    “Now I understand he wasn’t looking for love. He was too young. Just like me. He had a crush on me and wanted sex. Like most teenagers do.”
    Dean rocked her in his arms to comfort her and it felt so good. Safe. Loved.
    “I used him as an escape from my parents and pinned all of my hopes on