Page 92 of The Fall

“Not a chance. I’m not leaving her, at least not today.” He nodded as if he understood and then quickly asked his next question.

“Please tell me what I can do.”

“She has a cat named Morris. He will need to be taken care of. I don’t think she’s thought about him.”

“I already have her keys,” Dean said, pulling them from his pocket.

“Okay, thanks.” I turned to leave, and he stopped me.

“Will you come to me when you leave here?”

“I don’t know. I have a lot to do. It’s going to be a rough couple of months,” I offered quickly.

He stopped my movement with caressing hands on my shoulders. “So let me in. Let me be a part of it.”

“Dean—”

“So, it’s okay to run to me for a quick feel-better fuck but not for what you really need?”

“Damn it, can we not do this today!”

“Oh we are. Right here, right now.” I pulled the door open, and he slammed it, turning me back to face him.

Dallas

Now

“This is it! I’ve lost my patience! I’m not fucking around anymore! This was never some ploy to get you back into my bed Dallas! This is me telling you I want the rest of your life, to father your children. I’m him. Fight it all you want, but I’m that guy.”

All the blood drained from my face, and my heart burst.

“Funny, our history speaks differently! You were going to marry someone else, and you have an entire floor of nurses ready to take her place!”

“Those women, or whomever you think I have anything residual with, were on borrowed time. Even my own fucking fiancée knew I was in love with someone else…Those days were long over the day I got serious with you. Damn it, woman, you’re not easy to love, and I can’t keep—” He cut himself off, taking a step forward so there was no space between us, his face twisted as he breathed in deep. He looked at me again, studying me before he continued. “If for some reason I’m truly wrong about us, Dallas, if I truly am delusional, why are you crying?”

“I’m not.” My voice cracked, and I realized my face was becoming soaked. Angry with my body betraying me, I lashed out. “I won’t let you hurt me like that again. I’m trying with you. I’m trying! But stop thinking about what you want for one damn minute and think about me! I can’t let myself put all my hope into you again. It nearly destroyed me!”

He shook his head angrily. “I am thinking about you, have only thought about you for years. So, if I’m being a little selfish, I don’t give a shit. You,” he said emphatically, so I snapped my attention to him, “it’s very simple…belong with me.” I let out a long breath as I continued to cry. He didn’t move, but his following words hit me with a force that almost leveled me. “I don’t have a choice in this any more than you do. We can’t keep running from what we both know in our hearts is the truth. It’s ridiculous to think we can move on with anyone else. I’ve tried. I couldn’t do it. And neither could you. Denying what we have damn near ruined us both. I’m no longer willing to lie to myself and haven’t been in a long time. We were right the first time.”

His hands gripped my neck as he gently stroked my throat as he leaned in. “We got it right the first time. We just fucked up a little along the way. We weren’t perfect—never have been—but we were beautiful. We still are.”

Our eyes locked as he tilted my head up and held it.

“I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you tomorrow. And if you walk away from me, not one damn woman in the world will ever take your place. No one ever has. I had to learn, Dallas. It took some time. Please, just let go, forgive me, and let me love you.”

“You walked away,” I reminded softly. “You didn’t even look back.”

“All I did was look back, but I won’t ever walk away again,” he promised, his tone serious, hopeful.

“I didn’t think you would then.” My face still in his hands, I threw a weak argument his way. My resolve was already falling apart with every word he spoke. “We don’t get along, Dean. We never really have.”

“Bullshit, and besides, that’s the way we work, but I’m not going to stand here and convince you, Dallas Whitaker. I shouldn’t have to because you have always loved me, too. You promised me you would.” He leaned in closer and wiped my new tears away with his thumbs, gently re-gripping my head and bringing me to him.

“I know what I said,” I murmured.

“I love you, Dally, so much, so completely, so purposefully. I don’t think it was ever unintended. I think I knew exactly who I wanted my heart to belong to.” He pressed his lips to mine, gently separating them before gliding his tongue across my mouth. Once I opened, he devoured me in a passionate kiss, tasting me, taking me. Pulling away only enough to say his next words, his lips grazed over mine with soft kisses in between.

“Tienes la otra mitad de mi corazón, y no puedo vivir sin ella,” Before I could ask him, he told me the meaning. “You have the other half of my heart, and I can’t live without it.” He gripped my shoulders, his forehead to mine. “You are the other half of me. Tell me how to fight for you, baby. Tell me what to do. I’ll do whatever you want. Don’t take my life away from me. Forgive me.”

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