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Ethan lets go of me, and I feel exposed instantly.
    He sits down in front of me. I can feel him watching me, but I don’t look up as I pick up the menu. My hands shake so bad I can barely get my menu open, let alone hold it straight.
    “Braelyn.”
    I peek over the menu at him. I am so scared right now. People are staring at me, and every time someone walks by, I jump out of my skin.
    “Want me to come sit beside you?” he asks softly as he senses my fear. Weakly, I nod my head and scoot farther into the booth, feeling immensely relieved but kind of ashamed of myself for depending on someone like this.
    He scoots his menu in the place where I was just sitting and silently sits beside me. He is blocking the stares, and I relax into the back of my seat.
    Ethan grabs my hand and slides it into his lap. Closing my eyes, I drop my head to his shoulder. I feel so safe around him. His presence alone comforts me, and I don’t know what to make of it.
    “Thank you, Ethan,” I sigh out loud and sit back up in my seat.
    He turns his head to look at me. “Anything for you, Angel.” He raises his hand and strokes his thumb over my cheekbone.
    Blushing, I grab the menu again, busying myself. I decide on a burger and set the menu back down onto the table, then look around the restaurant. People are laughing, smiling, and being carefree. What would that be like?
    “Angel, tell me about your childhood?” Ethan moves my hair over my shoulder to get my attention.
    “My childhood wasn’t great either,” I whisper to him. My heart is suddenly heavy with sadness. I miss my mom, even though she didn’t show me she cared about me or did anything to protect me. My dad was her world, even though he beat the shit out of her and then turned to me because I was a little whore at the age of ten. I busted my butt to get a full-ride scholarship so I could get out. And what good did that do me?
    Ethan huffs out angrily. His anger used to scare me but not anymore. I stare at the table in front of me, not wanting to look at him, unwilling to see the pity buried deeply in his eyes.
    He digs his fingers into my side, and I bust out laughing. Smacking my hand over my mouth, I look at Ethan, shocked. He grins evilly and then proceeds to tickle me. Unable to hold it in, I laugh again. I squirm as I try to move his hands away. Tears start to trickle down my face.
    “You guys ready to order?” the waitress interrupts us, scaring me. I jump and sit up straight.
    She looks at me, waiting for me to tell her what I want. I clear my throat then answer in a surprisingly strong voice, “I’ll have a burger with everything and some steak fries, please.”
    Ethan squeezes my knee to let me know he’s proud. Smiling, I look down at my lap, happy he’s proud of me. It may not be something many people would be proud of, but it’s something to me.
    “I’ll have the same,” Ethan tells her while picking up both of our menus and handing them back to her.
    He tells me about his mom, his life in the Marines, small talk to pass the time. I just take everything in. How did I go from living on the streets to eating in a steak house with a man who makes me feel safe?
    Safe is such a strong felling; it’s like being wrapped in a blanket straight out of the dryer. I want to soak it into my entire being. Being scared all the time is horrible, but Ethan changed that, made me realize not every man is bad. A smile breaks out across my face at the thought of what my life will be like in a month.
    Ethan
    That smile. My heart feels like it skipped a beat. I know that makes me sound like a pussy, but it’s true. Braelyn tears at my heartstrings and breaks it into a million fucking pieces at the same time.
    She is so scared of the world. I can see the fear written all over her, from her stiff posture to her eyes. God, her eyes are a killer. They’re so damn beautiful but kill because you can see all the pain in them. I want nothing more than to take that pain