Exposed to You (35 page)

The answering silence was heavy. Both Sam and Luke knew
what I’d gone through with Michael. Now Luke was kicking himself for
potentially putting me at risk again.

“Dallon isn’t like Michael, don’t worry,” I repeated. “I
haven’t even heard from him since we broke up. He just feels like he has to do
the right thing by paying for movers. Trust me.”

I was trying to convince them, sure, but I also believed
that Dallon had moved on. Or at least, I had until I’d seen the way he’d looked
moments before. I was pretty sure I would carry his hurt expression into my
dreams that night.

Back in Sam and Luke’s study, I opened the second
suitcase to find my laptop sitting on the top of my clothes. Holding my breath,
I ran my fingers along its metallic surface, remembering what Sam had said
about Dallon not wanting me to return my phone. Apparently he’d wanted me to
keep the laptop, too.

Tears welled in my eyes and I switched it on as if on
auto-pilot. It was all I had left of him. Even the MAC startup sound reminded
me of him, and I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand as my
desktop appeared.

I froze. Dallon had left me a message.

In the middle of the desktop was a new document titled
with my name. I blinked a few times, as if it was a hallucination of my
exhausted mind. Then I clicked on it. My hand was so shaky, it took multiple
attempts to finally open it.

At the top of the document was a picture: the one he’d
had taken of us in Savannah. In it I was beaming at the camera, but Dallon was
looking down at me. His expression in that picture said more than his words
ever could.

Dallon King was in love with me.

I scrolled down and read his letter.

My Amy,

These past few days apart have been utter
torment. Many times I considered contacting you—the only thing stopping me was fear
you would think I’m a stalker. I want you to come back to me, but I want it to
be on your own terms.

That being said, I also want you to know that
I’m not going to give up. Whether or not I deserve it, I won’t stop trying to
earn your forgiveness. I won’t stop trying to prove to you how special you are
to me. I love you, Amy. I’ve never felt that way about
anyone
.

I’m willing to change for you.

I’m going to fight for us.

I closed my eyes and exhaled in one, long breath. All my
tension and fear was replaced by excitement as I read the last line, the hairs
on the nape of my neck standing to attention.

And as you know, I love a challenge.