That got her attention, and her dark eyes flashed as she sat up straight, indignation clearly written on her face. “You didn’t do anything wrong!”

Interesting, how she was so willing to defend him to himself. Michael’s lips almost felt like twitching. So she definitely didn’t blame him, at least, but... where did that leave them?

“Why don’t you read what you wrote,” he said, using his acting skills to look calm, even though he felt like he was hanging on the edge of a precipice. She was here. All he had to do was not chase her away again and maybe...

Ellie gave him a little look under her lashes and pulled her hands out of her pockets. In her right hand she was clutching a folded piece of paper, which she stared at as she unfolded it, obviously avoiding his gaze.

When she read, her voice was slightly stilted because she was reading from a prepared script, but it was full of emotion too.

“Michael, I want you to know I don’t blame you for anything that happened to me. I never have. Your friendship and protection made my bus rides not just bearable, but fun for an entire year. Drifting apart was natural and it didn’t have anything to do with what happened to me. Lawrence spent a long time trying to gain my trust and get me to date him, and even though I should have known better, I fell for it, and that’s my fault.”

Dammit. He couldn’t stand to watch the growing tension in her body, to hear the quiver in her voice. He couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. Talking had always made her uncomfortable, sex was where they’d had no issues... Swiftly making up his mind, Michael scooted around the booth, making her freeze in place. At least she didn’t run.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her onto his lap, his hands sliding up to her breasts and he squeezed them hard through her jacket. Ellie slumped back against him, the tension sliding away from her muscles at the distraction. He scraped his teeth over her neck and enjoyed the way she shuddered against him. “Keep reading, sweetheart.”

While she read, he unzipped her jacket so he could play with her more directly. The shirt she was wearing underneath was a simple, dark red long sleeve shirt with a rounded neckline. His hands went under the hem and up to her breasts, pushing her bra up so he could roll her hard nipples between his fingers, increasing the pressure or twisting whenever her voice faltered.