“Della…” His hand lifted a little like he was going to touch her, but then he seemed to think better of it and dropped his hand to his thigh. “I don’t think you’re a head case. I think you’re a warrior.”

She snorted at the very idea. She didn’t feel like a warrior. She felt tiny and scared and…ashamed. “Who needs a night-light?”

“Sure.” He smiled at her. “Warriors use whatever is at their disposal to fight and survive.”

Oh God. Her heart contracted. He always knew just what to say. And…she loved him for it.

Crap. This was bad. Super bad.

Della’s pulse thudded like bells of doom in her chest. She’d gone and done the stupidest thing in the world and fallen in love with him.

It was only supposed to be a sex thing. A temporary thing. She’d promised him that at the beginning of all this. Not love. Not feelings. But her chest was practically bursting right now, flooding with feelings.

Crappity crap. They were supposed to go back to being friends, damn it.

How dumb was she? And how unfair was life? To give her this wonderful man when she was incapable of offering him any kind of normal. And why would he want her, anyway?

That was the insidiousness of what she’d been through. How sullied and unworthy she sometimes still felt. Why would she inflict herself and her hang-ups on a guy who’d been so good for her? So good to her.

The unjustness of the situation dug talons into her heart. After everything she’d been through, she deserved a guy like Tucker. And she was so much stronger than she’d ever been, but he deserved better.

Her nose prickled as she fought off the tears. “Can you please just go?”

His gaze searched hers, and Della felt it probe right to the back of her brain. “I will, if that’s what you want. But…I’d rather stay.”

Della shook her head. She just wanted to curl in a fetal ball and cry her eyes out. “I want you to go.”

“Because of…the light?”

No. Not just the light. But even in full panic mode, she wasn’t about to admit she’d fallen in love with him. “Yes. Because of the light. Because I feel…stupid and…infantile and…humiliated.” She didn’t have to lie about that—her cheeks were still flushed with her mortification.

“Is that why you haven’t asked me to stay the night?”

Della gave a bitter kind of half laugh. “Give the man a cigar.”