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“I’ve got one. It didn’t stop him from attacking my car.”

Her words set me back. Neither Asha nor Brooke mentioned getting a protection order. “When did you get one?” I didn’t think there was enough evidence. Did the prick break it by being in the Lodge parking lot? I’ll have to call Asha once Brooke goes to bed and find out what’s happening.

“After that day at the hospital. And no, I haven’t seen him since then. We don’t even know if he was the one who vandalized my car.” She shakes her head.

“We don’t. But who else would do that? Your car wasn’t tucked away in a corner where no one could see, and if it were kids, they would have gone at other cars. Plus the level of damage…the rage behind it has to be personal.”

Her gaze moves away for a second then comes back to mine. “I want to think it’s random. I don’t understand why he hates me so much.”

“I don’t think there’s any understanding his actions. You might never know what triggered his behavior, and you’ll have to be okay with that.”

“That’s my biggest question. Why? Why me? We barely dated, he didn’t like what I did or how I dressed or⁠—”

“There has to be something we don’t know about. Something that isn’t you. This isn’t normal behavior even for a man who claims to be in love with a woman.”

“He never said he loved me.”

Why do those words make me happy? “As long as you know what he’s doing isn’t love.”

“Oh, I know that. Honestly, if he had claimed to love me, I wouldn’t have believed him. He barely liked me. I was shocked every time he suggested going out. It’s why I made the decision to tell him I didn’t want to see him anymore.”

“You did the right thing.”

“Maybe.”

“He wouldn’t have stopped asking.”

Her sigh is so big her whole body deflates. “I get that now. I’m ashamed to admit I put off telling him because I thought he’d give up; he was never happy with me.”

“His loss.” I don’t add my gain, because even though she’s here, she isn’t mine, no matter how much I want her to be.

With another sigh, she sits up and reaches for her plate. “I have to call my insurance company. Do you know if I can get access to it?”

The change of subject is like whiplash, but I get what she’s doing. She needs to feel in control. So much of her current situation is out of her hands and if I were her, I’d probably focus on what I could deal with too.

Following her lead, I pick up my plate and trail her into the kitchen.

“It’s evidence but I’m sure it will only take a couple of days for Asha to do his thing, then you can let the insurance company see it.” I hate to say it, but I don’t want her to get her hopes up. “Honestly, I think it will be a write-off.”

She runs her plate under the tap before putting it in the dishwasher. “Yeah, I thought the same.”

“You don’t need transport for now, and if you don’t have your payout by the time you do, I have a truck you can use.”

“You can’t keep taking care of me.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m nothing to you.”

“You are not and never will be nothing to me, Brooke.”

BROOKE

“You are not and never will be nothing to me, Brooke.”

Granger’s words have been on repeat in my head for days.

Every second I’m not busy—and even those I am—Granger’s growly voice whispers those words over and over. I have no idea what he meant by them. I can guess. Except any answer I come up with has hope and fear squeezing my lungs.