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the hook. “You knew what I was going through and you let me.”
    Tenn looked pained. “I won’t make excuses for what I did. You came here for help. Help’s what I gave you,” he said firmly, and then he softened. “There was shit to figure out, Calla.”
    â€œThere’s always shit to figure out. You let me think he was dead.”
    â€œThat was for your own good. And it’s this asshole’s goddamned fault.” Tenn pointed at Cage, who shrugged apologetically. Tenn went to smack him in the back of the head, but Cage ducked in time.
    Ducked, and still defended Tenn, telling me, “It’s not his fault.”
    I refused to let Tenn off the hook, mainly because it meant dealing with Cage. “If he knew you were alive and didn’t tell me—”
    â€œYou think it was easy, letting you cry yourself to sleep every night?” Tenn announced, and that hung in the air between us. “And you—” He pointed to Cage. “Don’t get a big head over that.”
    I stared at Cage, watching Tenn’s words register on his face. Then he relaxed again and said, “As much as I’d love to let you two kiss and make up, I’ve got to get Calla out of here.”
    He took what seemed like a single stride over to me, and before I could move he had a hand on my arm, his grip on my biceps gentle but unmoving.
    If the electricity that sparked between us was any indication of what could happen if I was alone with him again, I was in trouble. And as much as I didn’t want to know that right now, attempting to jerk away from his touch would only prove thatI couldn’t. I was tired of proving my inadequacies, tired of always knowing that the other shoe always dropped. “You ruined my life. And you scared me. Anything else you’d like to do while you have the floor?”
    â€œYour life sounded pretty busted before I came into it,” he said. And as much as the truth hurt, I hated him for being right.
    â€œSo did yours,” I shot back.
    â€œYou’re right. You gave me something to fight for, Calla. Something—someone—to come back to.”
    â€œThis is crazy. You don’t even know me.”
    â€œI haven’t stopped thinking about you since I hung up. I know what you’ve been through—I know it’s my goddamned fault, so I’ve got to make it right.”
    â€œYou made me mourn you.”
    â€œSo, what—I don’t know you, but you knew me enough to mourn me?” he asked.
    I blinked, because . . .
yes
.
    â€œYou really didn’t fucking believe me,” he murmured. “I couldn’t call—”
    â€œMaybe not at first. But then it became more of a—you
wouldn’t
call, right?” When he didn’t argue, I asked, “After you recovered, you had time to call. But you didn’t. You considered breaking your promise, didn’t you?”
    â€œYes.”
    I wasn’t surprised he didn’t deny it. I didn’t know much, but I did know that the man in front of me was a straight shooter. And that he smelled so good I wanted to lean in and lick his neck. “Why?”
    â€œToo many reasons to go into.”
    â€œJust because you were alive didn’t mean that you’d end up coming for me,” I whispered.
    â€œI said I would.”
    â€œI don’t count on promises.”
    â€œYou need to start with mine,” he said firmly.
    â€œYou need to start doing a lot of things,” Tenn said pointedly to Cage, who I swore growled. “That shit doesn’t scare me.”
    â€œYou know it should,” Cage told Tenn pointedly. “Calla, we’re out of here.”
    â€œI don’t know if I’m leaving with you.”
    â€œYou don’t know if you’re leaving with me,” he repeated, like disagreeing with him was such a rare occurrence that he didn’t recognize it. Or acknowledge