“Willow.” She leans her head on my shoulder.

“Maybe I’m broken,” I whisper and feel her jolt.

“What?”

“I felt nothing, even the first time I saw him with someone after we broke up. I wasn’t jealous or sad. And the other guys I’ve dated? It’s been the same. I mean I care about them, yes, but that’s it. I just care about them—nothing more. None of them have ever had the power to hurt me.”

“Maybe they didn’t earn that.”

I turn my head as she lifts hers off my shoulder.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean they didn’t earn the amount of trust it would’ve taken to be able to cause you emotional pain. That doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you. You’re just protective of your heart.”

I rest my head on her shoulder hoping she’s right, because the more I think about it, the more I wonder if I’m even capable of letting myself fall in love with someone.

Chapter 7

Willow

GRABBING AN EMPTY cart outside the grocery store, I drop my bag in the basket then head through the automatic doors. After smiling at the girl behind the lotto desk when she greets me with a cheerful hello, I head to the produce section. Normally I do my grocery shopping on Sunday, but since I was feeling like I had been hit by a truck, I ended up just lazing about that day, then yesterday after my run in with Brodie, Leah and I ended up ordering in dinner and just hanging out. Today I don’t have a choice, I need to pick up food for the week so that I don’t starve or end up eating fast food every night. And lucky for me, I got off work early today so I’m able to get it done then go home, make dinner, and then call it an early night. Something I desperately need.

While dumping a bunch of bananas in the cart I hear a cute little giggle come from close by and do a scan of the area around me, then freeze when my eyes land on Clay standing a few feet away. My pulse skips a beat and butterflies take flight in the pit of my stomach. There is absolutely no denying that I’m attracted to him, but who wouldn’t be? Remembering his parting words from the last time I saw him, I duck my head and start to push my cart away, hoping to go unnoticed. I’m brought to a halt when the bottom of my sweater snags on something. I look down to see what I’ve gotten hooked on, then blink when a cute, very-familiar-looking, little girl smiles up at me from under the edge of the table with a banana in her hand that she’s obviously been attempting to open.

“Winter?”

Hearing Clay’s deep voice causes a tingle to travel down my spine and I watch the little girl, who must be Winter, giggle then place her finger in front of her lips, telling me to be quiet.