Strong Enough to Love by Victoria Dahl Read Free Book Online Page B

deal. A month later, he left. It was over.”
    “But that must have been years ago.”
    “Yes. Two years. He came back yesterday.”
    Grace leaned forward. “And?”
    “He’s divorced. He wants another chance. Or a first chance, I guess.”
    “ And? ” she repeated, her voice rising.
    “I can’t.”
    “Can’t what?” Grace demanded.
    Eve pulled her numb fingers from Grace’s fist. “I can’t do that. I can’t feel that way again. It was too...”
    “Too good?”
    “No. Too much. Too hard. He overwhelms me, Grace. He makes me want everything. Makes me want to give everything. And that sounds romantic and lovely, but when he walked away, he took all of that everything with him. I can’t forgive that. And I can’t risk that again. I was so damn lost.” She didn’t cry. It wasn’t much, but at least she kept it together in that moment. And it felt good to say it out loud.
    “I understand. You know I do. But this guy...he came back. And as cruel as it sounds, you can’t fault him for trying to make his marriage work.”
    “As cruel as it sounds... yes. That’s the worst part. I hate him for that. And I hate myself for that ugliness. It was bad enough that I wanted someone else’s husband. Jesus. Then I resented her, too?”
    “You’re human. And so is he. He probably didn’t realize what he felt for you until he was gone.”
    “But that’s the thing. He did. He left me a letter. He knew what there was between us. He knew what it could be. He was honest and upfront and honorable. It was beautiful to read. And so damn horrible, because I couldn’t pretend he was just an oblivious man who didn’t get it. He understood perfectly, Grace. And it still wasn’t a good enough reason to stay.” She swallowed and said the words out loud that she’d thought to herself so many times. “I wasn’t enough reason to stay.”
    Grace shook her head. “So you’re just giving up? That’s it?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
    Grace squeezed her fingers one last time. “Listen to me. He’s a man. And he had it in his head that he needed to try to make his marriage work, right?”
    “I guess.”
    “He had a plan, and he stuck to it, and he was doing what needed to be done. It had nothing to do with hurting you.”
    “I know. I was collateral damage.”
    Grace nodded. “Yes. Unfortunately. And now you’re pissed off, so... What? You just told him to go away?”
    “Um. Kind of. I told him I couldn’t give him another chance.”
    “And?”
    Eve squirmed. She picked at rough edge of her thumb nail.
    “Spill it.”
    “I told him we could have one night. That’s it.”
    Grace squealed and slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God,” she gushed past her fingers. “You dirty little slut. You granted him one night in your bed?”
    “Not quite like that. And not in my bed. I went to his hotel.”
    “Okay, I’m sorry, but just one second.” Grace jumped from her chair and danced around the room with a frantic little step that didn’t seem possible in her clunky black boots. “Oh, my God, I knew it. You look transformed.” She dropped back into the chair. “Was it that good?”
    “Oh, God. Grace. I don’t even...” She let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling. “It was so good.” She didn’t realize she’d started crying again until she reached to scratch her temple and her hand came away wet. “It was the best. Another reason to hate him.”
    “For making it so good?”
    “Yes. Exactly.”
    Grace’s smile turned sympathetic. “Shit. I’m sorry. He’s a bastard.”
    “He is,” she said, not meaning it. She could hate him, but he wasn’t mean or cruel or a liar. He’d hurt her with complete honesty.
    She didn’t want to talk about this anymore, so she cleared her throat and reached out to straighten a vivid blue strand of Grace’s hair. “Will you let me take some shots of you this weekend?”
    Grace groaned.
    “Come on. I want to get it done before the spring