Page 66 of Tech

I can imagine she wanted to hear her diagnosis first, but she should have told me. She’s my world, my partner. It doesn’t matter if she thinks we’re just sexual; her heart knows differently.

Anger courses through me, and I snap, “Do you love me?”

Her tears fall harder, and she rasps, “With everything I am.”

I chuckle, shaking my head as I storm toward her. When close, I grip the back of her neck, causing her to stand, and I state, “If that was true, then you wouldn’t have fucking pushed me away, you would have told me the shit my mother was doing, you would have told me that I could fucking lose you!”

She sobs, gripping my cut. “I didn’t want to destroy you if I don’t survive this.” She shakes her head, placing her forehead on my chest. “I could never understand why someone would give someone else their heart. I heard the stories of my father going into the deep end after my birth momma passed; he nearly lost me and himself, and I couldn’t live with myself if that happened to you; I love you so much….”

I flare my nostrils, hoping to control the urge to cry like a fucking pussy. Gripping her cheeks, I force her to look at me, and whisper, “Angel…people give their hearts to their loves because that connection is what fulfills them, just like you fulfill me. It doesn’t matter if you thought a sexual relationship would keep a distance between us, because you were wrong; you’re in my heart, my soul. You’re my everything, Brook, you always have been, just like I’m yours.”

Her body trembles as she wraps her arms around my waist and sobs. “I don’t want you to lose yourself.”

Holding her tightly, I shake my head. “It's inevitable, baby. Where you go, I fucking go.” She goes to pull back, but I hold her tighter. “It doesn’t matter what you say, baby, I love you so much. You’re in my heart.”

She cries hard, gripping the back of my cut, and I hold her tighter, refusing to let her go, and I mumble against her head, “When’s your appointment, Angel? I’m coming with you.”

She pulls back a little, tears soaking her cheeks, and whispers, “Tomorrow at 9 AM.”

I nod, my body sagging against her with relief that she’s letting me in, before my lips find hers, causing her grip to tighten more.

Instantly, I feel at home.

Right here, right now, there’s no other place I’d rather be, and if I lose her in any way, I’ll be following her.

Even if it means death….

20

Brook

I feel lips gently glide along my neck, the prickles of a beard scratching my skin, and I sigh in contentment.

James….

Wait, what.

I furrow my brows, my eyes opening, taking in the room, and I see a picture of me and James sitting on the nightstand.

I’m in his room.

Everything comes back to me; Momma opening my letter, showing it to my father, James confronting me….

He knows….

Tears spring to my eyes as James kisses my jaw and whispers, “Time to get up, my Angel. Your appointment is in an hour and a half.”

He kisses my head, and I feel the box spring move under his weight before he comes into my line of sight, his muscular back covered in tattoos make me sigh.

Christ, he’s a work of art.

When he doesn’t hear me move, he turns in the bathroom doorway, leaning on the door frame. My eyes eat him up from the devil tattoo over his left peck to the way his shorts grip low on his waist, showing off his V shape.

Damn….

James clears his throat, making me lock eyes with him. His gaze is rife with humor as he asks, “You done perving on me, Angel, because I would like a shower with you at some point this morning—I’m not showering on my own.”

My lips twitch, wanting to smile. I fight it, I really do, but they tilt anyway, making him smirk.

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