"You could have let me in on that."
"I did have sex with you. That should have been a clue."
"It gave me hope, but afterward…You gave me your body, but not your heart, and I want both."
"I want both, too. That's why I pulled back. Because I didn't feel like you were a hundred percent in."
"I am in. I've wanted to tell you everything for a long time. And now I can."
"Why?" She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Why can you tell me now?"
"Because I finally confronted my father, and I told him that I was going to be completely honest with you."
Her gut twisted at his words. Deep down, she'd had a bad feeling that whatever Jake was holding back had to do with his dad, and now she wasn't sure she wanted to hear it. "If it has to do with your father, then maybe you shouldn't tell me."
His gaze narrowed. "You wanted this, Hannah. You told me it was a dealbreaker."
"I thought I needed it, but I don't think I do. You've earned my trust a thousand times over the past few days, Jake. I'm ready to move forward. I can let the past go."
"I'm ready to move forward, too, and to let the past go, but I want to tell you, Hannah, at least part of it. Will you listen?"
"Of course."
"The afternoon of the prom, I found out something about my father. It shook me up so much, I got drunk, and you know the rest. I promised him I would never tell anyone what happened, because it would hurt my family, and I couldn't do that. Paul was just starting to get his life back. My mom could finally stop worrying about losing my brother. And you…" He shook his head, his eyes filled with regret. "I really wanted to tell you, Hannah, but I couldn't. I knew that if I saw you that night, I would tell you. And I knew that if I spent any time around you after that, I would tell you. I had to let you hate me. I had to let you think that I just got scared about how serious we were. You said my excuses kept changing, because I couldn't find a way to make it better without hurting you more. It just about killed me. As soon as I could leave town I did, and I stayed away, so I wouldn't be tempted to tell you or anyone else."
There was so much raw honesty in his eyes that she knew he was telling her the truth. She could also read between the lines of his story, and she felt a rushing wave of disappointment toward Davis, not as much for whatever he'd done—although she could guess—but for the promise he'd asked his son to keep. "I'm sorry, Jake."
"You're sorry?" he asked with surprise.
"That your father put that burden on you."
"I hated him for it."
"Now I understand what went down between you."
"I could never look at him the same way again. It wasn't just what he did, it was the promise."
"I understand. That was the worst part. He was willing to sacrifice your relationship for his bad behavior." She paused, tilting her head as she thought about what had transpired over the past hour. "But you came here together. How did that happen?"
"Oh, right. I went to tell him I wasn't going to keep his promise anymore. After last night, I knew I had to do that. I told him I wasn't going to tell my family, but I was going to tell you, because I needed to be completely honest with you."
"I can't believe you decided to do that after all this time."
His arms tightened around her. "I'm in love with you, Hannah. I've been in love with you since I was seventeen years old. But the love I felt for you then doesn't compare to what I feel for you now. If you would be willing to give us a chance, I would be the happiest man alive."
"I'm willing," she said, her heart swelling with love for him. "I love you, too, Jake. I could only hate you as much as I did, because I still loved you. I tried to fight it. I tried to stay angry, because I was afraid. You hurt me in a way no one else ever has."
"I wish I could take it back."
"But you can't, and it's part of our story. But it's not a part I want to think about anymore. I want you to know that you have also made me happy in a way no one else ever has—back when we were teenagers and now. You know me better than I know myself. You know what I need sometimes before I know I need it. You push me, and I like that."
Happiness filled his gaze. "I'm glad I make you happy, and I will never hurt you again," he promised. "I would die for you, Hannah."
"You almost did tonight."
"But you saved me. You picked up that gun, and you took the shot. You were incredibly brave, Hannah."
"You saved me, too. And I'm not just talking about that horrible man inside the house. When you picked me up on the side of the road last week, you forced me to stop hiding from you, stop hiding from myself. I've been closed off for so long. I've felt like I had to only depend on myself. But then you kept showing up, and it scared me because I was starting to depend on you, too."
"You can depend on me. But you're strong on your own, and I love that about you. When I saw your texts today, I was scared, but I knew you would take care of your sister. I knew you would bring that baby into the world. I never had any doubt that you couldn't handle yourself; I just wanted to be there to help."
"You did help. So did your dad. I
