Free Revealed by You (Torn) by J.M. Walker

Evvie.”
    Tears threatened to escape my eyes. My big strong boyfriend was breaking before me and I had no idea how to fix it.
    “I’m so sorry,” I whispered. I was sorry. For not knowing how to fix things and for not helping him as a child. I knew that was silly but the need to protect him was so strong, I couldn’t control it. I couldn’t save him as a boy, but I would save him as a man.
    “I’m sorry for lying to you,” he said, his voice muffled by my shoulder.
    My fingers grazed over his nape brushing through the short brown hair. “I’m sorry you felt you had to.”
    He lifted his head, his gaze warming. “I don’t deserve you, at all but I love you and I thank God every day for giving me you. My angel.”
    My heart stuttered, my vision blurring. I swallowed past the hard lump that burned my throat. “I…I wish I could take away your pain.”
    He kissed my ring finger, placing soft pecks on the gold band before leaning his forehead against mine. “I miss…” his breath hitched. “I miss my dad. He would…he would know what to do. How to fix this.”
    At that point I lost it. All of the emotions I had felt over the past couple of months crashed into me, overwhelming my sense of control. Losing my mom years before. My dad having a heart attack only a couple of weeks ago. Tears flowed down my cheeks. I held him, with everything in me. I tried giving him the strength that I knew he needed. “I’m so sorry.”
    “Please. I…I can’t.” He swallowed several times before clearing his throat. “Just let me touch you. I need to feel your skin against mine.” His hands roamed higher under my dress. His tense shoulders relaxed, like he was physically pulling the strength from my body.
    I placed a soft peck on his mouth. “I love you. I’m here for you. No matter what. You can always trust in that,” I said in between kisses.
    “Don’t leave me. Ever.” His hands roamed over my lower body, pulling me tight against him. “My mother may have hurt me, fucked me up, but you...” his eyes darkened. “you could destroy me.”
    I shook my head, ignoring the thud of my heart. “Won’t happen. You’re stuck with me.” I lifted my hand indicating my ring. “This is proof.”
    “Good. You’re mine. I’m stuck in you, lover. Forever,” he said, his voice firm.
    My heart raced. “You…you want that? This?” I motioned between us. “Forever?” He had said it only a while ago but I needed to hear it again. I needed to know that this wasn’t short term. That this was meant to be. Real .
    He nodded. “I need it. I need you. I need this.”
    A flutter soared through my belly. “What are we going to do about your mom?” I hated to ask but we needed to prepare him for the onslaught of what was to come.
    He breathed a heavy sigh. “I’ll deal with it.”
    “Brett…”
    His gaze hardened. “I said, I’ll deal with it.”
    My stomach clenched. I had a feeling that there was more to her impromptu visit. She wanted something. And if it had to do with Claire... Whatever it was, would probably change our lives forever.
     
    ***
     
    After getting home from the club, Brett acted different, which, in fact, was understandable given who he had run into. His mother. His flesh and blood evil mother. I couldn’t believe it. I understood why he had lied to me. Yes, it hurt that he felt he needed to, but I realized that it was during a time when our relationship was so new. Fresh. Now, I prayed that he would tell me anything.
    I wrapped the blanket around me, trying to sleep but all I could think about was him. The look of terror as his mother forced her way back into his life. What did she want? It was something to do with Claire but neither of us knew. Brett wouldn’t talk about it. He had only told me so much about his childhood but he needed to talk to someone. A professional. I sighed. Only being with him for a couple of months, did that really give me a right to tell him what to do?
    A part of me