Free Good Intentions (Welcome to Paradise) (Volume 2) by S. L. Scott

the bullshit you’ve been fed.”
    Murphy jumps off the railing and laughs. “Fuck, I’m starting to sound like Z here. I really need to start thinking about getting my own place. I’m obviously seeing his ugly mug way too much. I’m going to bed. Katie still awake?”
    I look at him with a light smile. “No, I think she fell asleep a while ago.”
    “Well fuck. Guess I’ll be sleeping after all.” He walks into the house, but stops at the door, and says, “Goodnight.”
    “Yeah, night,” I reply.
    “Go in and get some rest. You’re looking really pale, Mallory,” Zach says, leading me in and shutting the front door behind him. “You can still have my bed.”
    “No, get Sunny from the sofa. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
    He hugs me, and whispers, “I’m not going to humor you. You’re both smart enough to know that you’re meant to be together. Just make sure it’s for the right reasons, okay?”
    “Okay.” I hug him, appreciating how good he’s been to me. I’m glad Sunny has found such a great guy and Evan has him as a best friend.
    Zach carries sleeping Sunny from the couch, leaving me to settle into the living room for the few remaining hours of night. I look at the chair, wishing I could snuggle with Evan as we had once before, the memories of that night still fresh on my mind. But I can’t. It’s too painful right now. Too fresh. Tonight’s fiasco should have never happened. Lies have tainted all that’s been good between us, but lying in the dark, two things become clear to me. One - I need answers regarding that text. And two - I need to know that he’ll defend me to his family if it comes to that. I can’t fight for us by myself.
    I fall into a restless sleep, nightmares filling my head. “Holy crap!” I sit up, shaking and sweating.
    “Are you alright?” Sunny asks, dropping the newspaper to her lap.
    “Um…” I pat the couch, still trying to come to terms with where I am. “Yes, I’m fine. I think.”
    Sunny looks at me funny then turns the paper around and says, “Look, Southern Shores is today. Johnny called and asked if I’d help him at this t-shirt booth he’s working. I think you should come. It’s a major surf contest and they’re usually a blast.”
    She sits forward, lowering her feet to the ground, and asks, “I know that you and Zach talked last night. Have you given any thought to what he said about time?”
    “I tried, but I was exhausted and fell asleep. It was almost three in the morning, but I do agree that if we decide to give us another chance, we should do it knowing that stuff like this can’t happen again. We need to be built on trust and honesty.”
    “Are you ready to make that kind of commitment?”
    “Yes,” I readily answer. “But I want to make sure I’m with him for the right reasons. The chemistry is there and I never question that. I think his commitment to me is there. I love him, but I don’t want to end up hurting him either. I can’t be with him because I think I can save him. I don’t want to be his savior. Everyone else seems to want that from me. I want to be his partner. I want him to heal because he finds it within himself to want to heal. I want him to move forward, because he sees a better tomorrow for himself.”
    “I think that’s a good way to look at it and you’re definitely not a replacement for Lani. It’s pretty damn obvious how much he cares about you.”
    “But you know what I went through when Will cheated on me. That was tough to handle and I’m already in deeper with Evan, so I need to know about that text. I know this sounds silly and contradictory, but at the same time, I really want to trust him, so I might have to take his word on this one. I’m not sure what to do. And if you say ‘give it time,’ I’m going to smack you, Sunny.”
    She stands up and walks to the opening of the hallway. “Mallory, don’t rush things. You have a lot going on in your head that needs sorting. I really do think