Chapter 50

I sniff back my unshed tears before continuing, “I still dream of things that terrify me. When I’m not beside you in bed, they haunt me. You keep them away, make me feel safe, and stop the past from getting to me. You have no idea.”

I finally sag, and more tears fall down my cheeks. I try to calm my breathing and push it all back down inside. I feel like I’ve just let a monumental weight fall from my shoulders, but at the same time, I’m being crushed with panic about how Jake will react. I’m afraid to look at him, afraid to breathe.

“That’s pretty much a condensed version of everything you’ve ever asked me about,” I mumble so quietly it’s barely above a whisper, my head hanging in shame as I stare at the fingers I’m twisting together. It wasn’t a detailed outpouring, but it’s as much as I can handle. I don’t ever think I could give more.

“Emma?” His soft voice breaks, and I look up to see the devastation on his face, his furrowed brows and tear-filled eyes, the tig