Page 222 of Bona Fide

Wade breaks our kiss, letting me slide down his body as he places me down on the floor while his blue eyes study me.

“What did your brother do?”

“There is so much to explain, I—” My words are abducted from my mouth, and an overwhelming feeling penetrates through my whole body. Wade’s arms wrap around me, my cheek hitting his chest as he strokes my hair.

“You love that idiot,” he voices over me. “Things can be forgiven.”

“They are too big. Him and Mama...they made me forget things from my past.” I pull from him. “God, Wade...how are you?”

He nods, emotionless. “Fine.”

Bullshit.

“Do you need me for—”

“I need you to stay with your brother,” he replies. “Just...stay safe with him for me until I’m done with all of this.”

“Then what?”

His brows descend a tad. “You can’t be with me, if that’s what you’re implying.”

I pry myself out of his hold to fully meet his words and the shit I really don’t want to listen to right now. “You’re wanting to keep me at arm’s length now?”

“I have to.”

“That’s my decision to make.”

“And it’s mine to make sure you don’t get hurt again.”

“I didn’t ask you to come over here to just give me a hug and tell me everything is going to be okay.”

“Then what did you want me to do, Miss Shelton, fuck your sadness away for the night?”

My eyes narrow. “You know what...this was a mistake, Mr. President. I’m sorry you had to come here.”

“Don’t get all pissy with me,” he chides, taking a step in my direction. “Because you were right before. I should’ve never brought you into my life. You would’ve been so much better off. And vice versa.”

“Then why did you come? If this was always going to end in goodbye, you should’ve told me to fuck off.”

“Because I love you. And you’re a weakness. But with that comes liabilities, I won’t keep doing this with you in the mix. If people discover you, how I feel about you, a target will always reside on your back.”

“It’s worth it,” I retort. “It’s all—”

“Your death will not be worth it to me.” He shakes his head. “I can’t do this. I won’t do it. If you want to talk, speak, but I can’t keep running back to you. This has to be the last time.”

My face twists in disbelief. “You can’t mean—”

“Oh, I mean every word,” he vouches before straightening his spine. “Every single word, Sox. We’re the love story that never sees the happy ending. You’ll get one—someday. I want to keep you as my last.”

“Your last? You want me to move on while you get to hold on to us? You’re either a fucking idiot or selfish as hell.”

“Both, Sox...I’m both.” He steps forward, towering over my frame that’s on the brink of collapsing.

He’s leaving me for good.

His life is too vital to have to keep worrying about mine. I’m being selfish by wanting him to push that aside.

His lips find my forehead before he cups my face and tilts it to his.

“I love you, always have, always will. This is the best thing I could ever do for you. And, who knows, maybe one day you’ll name a kid after me.”

I scoff, and he meets my mouth with a gentle kiss.

“Goodbye, Shelton.”

One more brush to my face with his knuckles and he’s gone, taking everything I need to live with him.

---