Page 163 of Fierce Storm
“I’m not going anywhere, Keeley. I can promise you that.”I hope.
She gestures for me to sit down, and I do so with trepidation, my heart lodged in my throat. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
She nods before letting go of my hands, and my muscles tense.
“I’ve known Vance for a long time. He’s one of the reasons I’ll never date an athlete.”
Chapter Forty-Five
SALVATORE
Vance. The guy we’re about to hire to fucking work with us? If my muscles weren’t already wound so tightly, I have no doubt they’d be coiling like a spring at her words.
Vance Fucking McMillan.
And it all comes back. “Fuck, Keeley. Did he do this to you?” As the question leaves my mouth, the thought of that notion has me springing to my feet. “What the fuck did he do?”
“Nothing. Not really.”
“Not really? That doesn’t exactly ease my mind.”
“All he did was grab my waist, and I overreacted. It’s my fault. I stumbled backward, not remembering the stairs were behind me.” She laughs, her cheeks flushing, as though she’s ashamed of her clumsiness. While I can’t even smile. I’m caught on the beginning of her explanation.All he did was grab my waist.
First, why the fuck is he grabbing her waist?
Second, why the hell is his touch making her move away from him so quickly that she falls down the fucking stairs?
My fists clench but I try to stay calm.
“This wasn’t your fault, Keeley.”
“It kind of was…” She trails off when I shoot her a glare, and her lips pull into a smile. “Okay. It was an accident.”
“No, it wasn’t. If you ‘overreacted’ as you said, it’s because he was touching you without your permission. Am I right?”
She nods, and I briefly close my eyes, breathing in through my nose to calm myself. Only it doesn’t work.
“Fuuuck.”
“Sal.”
“I should have been there.”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would you have been there?”
“To protect you. I’ve been so focused on the reasons I should stay away from you, when I should have been worrying about keeping you safe.”
“Sal. Come on. We’ve both been focused on other things, and you could hardly have stopped this.”
“Yes, I could have.”
“How? Rolled me up in bubble wrap and never let me out?”
“No. But I should have been there. I should have seen the signs.”
“Seen the signs? You’re not being fair to yourself. And maybe if I’d told you, you would have been.”
Her words wound me like a stab to the chest, but I don’t show it. She didn’t mean themaybeas if she’s questioning whether or not I’d actually stay to protect her. Though she has every right to. Camilla wouldn’t have questioned it at all. She would have assumed I wouldn’t be there and hired someone else to help her. I don’t want Keeley to ever have to question that. And I know with absolute certainty that I would have made sure Vance never got close enough to even talk to her, let alone touch her.
