Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud.
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Grief rose and fell between them with each expelled breath. Evidence of their mutual heartbreak and pain danced upon dewy lashes, sinking into the cracked facades of contorted features.
Ashlyn's hands continued to massage his arms, gently rocking him to the lullaby of her steady beating heart. His words had moved her, the wounds of his guilt raw and inflamed from the attention he'd paid them. She saw his hurt, and she saw his pain, and she wanted nothing more than to take that away from him. But all she had were her assurances, and they'd proven futile against the rigid walls he'd erected around himself.
Pulling back from her embrace, Derek reached up to cup her cheeks and pressed his forehead to hers. His breath was a gentle caress upon her tight cheeks, the last of her tears running from the warm breeze.
"I couldn't save my best friend, but I can still save you." He spoke much too softly for the swift jab delivered to her stomach at his words.
Leaning back, Ashlyn shook her head. He still didn't get it.
What happened to Liam was horrible, and I wish you hadn't gone through that. None of that was your fault. Sometimes, there's nothing we can do to stop these things from happening, no matter how much we pray or we wish they wouldn't. She stopped mid-speech to rub her forearm. But what happened to Liam, that's not going to happen to me. I'm right here, Derek. You don't need to save me.
Derek's brow creased, and she could see the battle that ensued in his gaze as he watched her, processing what it was she tried to say. Understanding fluttered upon his lashes, but beneath those heavy lids, she could still see the uncertainties that plagued him.
Ashlyn's chest tightened as she watched desperately the twitching in his jaw. The wages of war made their mark upon flesh, his brows pinched, and his lip gripped tightly between his teeth with the doubts he battled.
See me, Derek. Brushing her finger beneath his chin, she tilted his head back and skimmed her fingers along his cheekbone. His lashes fluttered, and he released his lip, a silent tear tracking her fingers.
Leaning forward, she brushed her lips over his brow in a gentle kiss.
Feel me.
Another soft brush of her lips over his.
His lips parted with a heavy exhale, and he pulled away. Leaning back on her heels, Ashlyn gripped her forearm, her nails biting the surface with the resistance to scratch. For months she'd fought this habit, only to have it surface again with such temptation at the earliest sign of a threat to her security.
"I do see you, I do feel you, and that's why I can't bear to lose you. I can't fail you like I did Liam."
He was right. He did see. But what he saw was a misconstrued perception, tainted by the guilt that shrouded his vision. He saw with fear and the failings of his past.
