Page 124 of Take Her from You

She put her hand to my chest. Her fingers shook. “Love is like how we are together. Happy. Caring. Devoted. Wanting the other in all ways including outside of the bedroom. Giving your time, making sure they’re fed. Housed. You go out of your way to protect them. You drive through the night for a favour. You pass the damn bird test, for heaven’s sake.”

What the fuck was a bird test? “I can’t give ye what you’re asking for.”

“You’re right. Not like this.”

I was utterly stumped.

Her shoulders rose and fell. “Let’s find an easier way into your self-discovery. What do you want, Valentine?”

“For things to stay like this. Nothing changing.”

“With you sleeping over but not living here? For me to not be your girlfriend? For us never to be a real couple? I deserve better than that. Tobi does, too. She deserves a father who’ll love her and is proud to take on the title. I deserve someone who wants everything with me.”

Emotion hit me thick and fast. “You’re breaking up with me?”

“No, you idiot, I’m telling you to sort your shit out and be that man if we’re what you want. You’re torn up over your past and never healed. Talk to your brother. Call your ex and find out what she wants then tell her she hurt you. Forgive her or don’t, just do whatever you need to move on from it. If you’re lucky, I’llstill be waiting. If not, I understand. I can bear the pain of losing you because I know loss. I’ve survived it once and can survive it again.”

Her voice broke, and tears lined her eyes. Jagged pain slashed through me so vicious it nearly brought me to my knees. I wanted to grab hold of her. Apologise. Tear up all the words she’d said and get back to where we’d been.

But Mia rounded me and opened the door. She pointed outside to the darkening late afternoon.

“Why would it hurt you?” I muttered, needing more from her than I had the right to ask.

“Because I’m in love with you, too. Now get out of my house.”

Chapter 36

Mia

Alone, again, I fled the lounge for my bedroom and slid to the floor, bringing my knees to my chest. Then I let the tears fall that I’d kept in while he’d just stood there.

It wasn’t love for him. He’d said so. A knife to my belly.

Or did I trust my instinct that told me he’d got so twisted up he didn’t know the truth about himself? It smacked of pathetic to even think it.

For a minute, I let myself wallow. Then I cooled, dried my cheeks, and climbed up, hunting down my phone.

I hadn’t been kidding when I said I’d survive Valentine. Loss felt like the end of all things, but that was never true. It merely concluded one direction of life and set you in another minus a person, an idea, or the way your heart beat.

I wanted everything with him. I’d laid my cards out. If I even thought about him coming back, it would break me, and I had a problem to fix. A niggling idea in my mind that needed all my brainpower.

A text waited for me.

Molly: That’s so weird. My aunt asked after you this morning. She drove through Dundee a few days ago and happened to spot one of the Winchesters.

I perched on the sofa and tapped a reply.

Mia: Don’t suppose they were doing anything suspicious that could help me work out this inheritance issue?

Molly: I’d love to say yes, but nope. Let me forward her note.

Another message arrived.

Aunt B: George Winchester was at the crossroads, yelling at some old dear in her car for not moving off quick enough. He was always a wrong ’un.

Mia: She called him George to me when I saw her last, too. Must have the wrong name stuck in her head.

Molly: Oh, I corrected her once. It isn’t wrong. He used to be George when he was little.

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