you ever thought about moving him to a facility nearby, so you wouldn’t have to travel so far to see him?”
“I’ve thought about it, but that’s the only home he’s known since the accident. I’m afraid the stress of moving him might be too much for him. It wouldn’t be fair.”
He could tell she was the type of woman who always put other people’s needs above her own, but he wanted her to learn to put herself first sometimes. She deserved that. “Sweetheart,” he said carefully, kissing her shoulder, “do you feel guilty about what happened to your brother?”
She tipped her head back to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you feel guilty that you’re able to live a normal life and he isn’t? Is that why you’ve restricted your pleasure, forced yourself to suffer, to endure…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to break free of his arms.
Holding her tighter against his chest, he said quietly, “I think you do. Think about it. You haven’t made love to a man. You’ve never had a serious relationship, and you force yourself to get by with the bare necessities. It’s as though you feel you don’t deserve to enjoy your life or experience happiness because of what happened to Tommy. He’ll never have a normal relationship, get married, have kids, a home of his own, so you don’t feel you have the right to those things either.” He knew his insight could backfire, but what she was doing was so painfully obvious, and if she didn’t acknowledge it, they would never be able to have the kind of relationship he wanted.
“You’re wrong. You don’t understand,” she said, trying to pry his arms away. “Let me go. I have to go home…”
“No, you don’t,” he said, refusing to relinquish his hold on her. “You have to talk to me. You have to face this.”
Shaking her head, she began crying. She swiped at the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You don’t understand. You couldn’t possibly understand unless you’ve been through what I have, what we have.”
He pulled her back into the protective circle of his arms, holding her until the tears finally subsided. After kissing her damp cheek, he said, “You’re right. I don’t understand what you’ve been through, but I’d like to. I want you to open up to me, tell me what this has done to you, Lacy.”
“This isn’t about me. I don’t have the right to complain about what that accident took from me when it robbed my brother of the chance at a normal life.” She choked back a sob. “It wasn’t fair, Shane. He was just a kid. He had his whole life ahead of him. Why did that have to happen to him?”
Closing his eyes, he tried to find the strength to face her anguish. It was heart-wrenching to watch someone he cared about in so much pain and know he couldn’t do anything to help her. “I don’t know, baby. No one knows why the hell these things happen. It’s not fair, but we can’t undo it. We just have to try and cope.”
She turned into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “This isn’t your problem. I don’t want to burden you with this.”
He pulled back, holding her head. “Hey, listen to me. I want you in my life, and that means that whatever life throws at us, we face it together.”
She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t ask you to take on my problems. It wouldn’t be fair.”
He kissed her lips gently and forced her to look him in the eye. “Listen to me. For the past six months, I’ve stood on the periphery of your life, waiting for you to let me in. You finally did tonight, and I’m not going to let you force me out again, no matter what you say.”
She stroked his cheek, smiling. “You’re such a good man, but I can’t expect anyone else to take this on. The constant fear, stress, and anxiety eventually takes its toll. I don’t want that for you.”
He knew she was trying to protect him, but he wasn’t going to let her. It wouldn’t be easy, but she
“I’ve thought about it, but that’s the only home he’s known since the accident. I’m afraid the stress of moving him might be too much for him. It wouldn’t be fair.”
He could tell she was the type of woman who always put other people’s needs above her own, but he wanted her to learn to put herself first sometimes. She deserved that. “Sweetheart,” he said carefully, kissing her shoulder, “do you feel guilty about what happened to your brother?”
She tipped her head back to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you feel guilty that you’re able to live a normal life and he isn’t? Is that why you’ve restricted your pleasure, forced yourself to suffer, to endure…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to break free of his arms.
Holding her tighter against his chest, he said quietly, “I think you do. Think about it. You haven’t made love to a man. You’ve never had a serious relationship, and you force yourself to get by with the bare necessities. It’s as though you feel you don’t deserve to enjoy your life or experience happiness because of what happened to Tommy. He’ll never have a normal relationship, get married, have kids, a home of his own, so you don’t feel you have the right to those things either.” He knew his insight could backfire, but what she was doing was so painfully obvious, and if she didn’t acknowledge it, they would never be able to have the kind of relationship he wanted.
“You’re wrong. You don’t understand,” she said, trying to pry his arms away. “Let me go. I have to go home…”
“No, you don’t,” he said, refusing to relinquish his hold on her. “You have to talk to me. You have to face this.”
Shaking her head, she began crying. She swiped at the tears sliding down her cheeks. “You don’t understand. You couldn’t possibly understand unless you’ve been through what I have, what we have.”
He pulled her back into the protective circle of his arms, holding her until the tears finally subsided. After kissing her damp cheek, he said, “You’re right. I don’t understand what you’ve been through, but I’d like to. I want you to open up to me, tell me what this has done to you, Lacy.”
“This isn’t about me. I don’t have the right to complain about what that accident took from me when it robbed my brother of the chance at a normal life.” She choked back a sob. “It wasn’t fair, Shane. He was just a kid. He had his whole life ahead of him. Why did that have to happen to him?”
Closing his eyes, he tried to find the strength to face her anguish. It was heart-wrenching to watch someone he cared about in so much pain and know he couldn’t do anything to help her. “I don’t know, baby. No one knows why the hell these things happen. It’s not fair, but we can’t undo it. We just have to try and cope.”
She turned into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. “This isn’t your problem. I don’t want to burden you with this.”
He pulled back, holding her head. “Hey, listen to me. I want you in my life, and that means that whatever life throws at us, we face it together.”
She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t ask you to take on my problems. It wouldn’t be fair.”
He kissed her lips gently and forced her to look him in the eye. “Listen to me. For the past six months, I’ve stood on the periphery of your life, waiting for you to let me in. You finally did tonight, and I’m not going to let you force me out again, no matter what you say.”
She stroked his cheek, smiling. “You’re such a good man, but I can’t expect anyone else to take this on. The constant fear, stress, and anxiety eventually takes its toll. I don’t want that for you.”
He knew she was trying to protect him, but he wasn’t going to let her. It wouldn’t be easy, but she
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