Page 93 of Where the Darkness Goes

“Hey, I get some credit for that, too,” Will cuts in with a smirk.

“Thank you, both.” I dust away a tear.

Will looks between us with a soft smile, then stands and runs his hands over his knees, sighing. “Alright, well, I’m going to letthe doctor know she’s awake. Then I’m going home to shower. I’ll bring you a change of clothes from home, assuming you aren’t leaving her side.”

Garrett nods. “Thanks.”

“You’ll be okay?” He’s looking at me as he asks.

“I think I’ll manage. Will you do me a favor, though?”

“Anything.”

“Call Mom and tell her what happened. Let her know he’s going to go down for everything and that I’ll visit as soon as I can. She can hear us. It’s important she hears that.”

“I’d been planning to go tell her,” he says, “but I didn’t want to leave you.”

“She needs to know now. She doesn’t deserve to wait another day living with the fear of him. She needs to know the light won this time.” Tears prick my eyes.

“I’ll tell her.” Will kisses the top of my head, then points at Garrett with a warning glance. “Take care of her.”

“You know I will.”

“I know.”

Something unspoken passes between them, a moment of eye contact that I don’t understand, before Will leaves the room. When he does, Garrett rests his chin on his fists. “God, I really thought I was going to lose you.”

“I still had plenty of yelling at you left to do. What can I say?”

He laughs under his breath.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Anything.”

“Even when I was mad at you, I still knew it would be okay with us. I can’t explain it other than to say it felt…safe. I think I’ve always known we’d end up together.” I meet his eyes. “Does that make sense?”

He puffs out a ragged breath, running a hand over his mouth. “Does it make sense?” He shakes his head. “I’ve just beenwaiting for you to figure it out.” I dry his tears with my thumb, and he pulls my hand to his mouth, kissing my palm. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about everything with Will and Charles. I should have.”

“Yes,” I agree. “But I understand why you didn’t.”

“You do?” He swallows.

“You were protecting me. Like you always have been. I know you.”

His eyes line with fat tears. “We know each other pretty well, don’t we, Little Bit?”

“Better than anyone else.” A new question forms in my mind. “I have to ask you something.”

“Okay, but I request at least a month off before I’ll agree to solving any more mysteries.” He strokes my hand, sending chills up my arm at the sensation. I never want him to let me go.

“Deal.” My smile fades away. I run my fingers through his, caressing his hand. “So, if I’m remembering correctly, for a while you thought we might be siblings, and that’s why you broke up with me?”

He scratches his neck, then nods. “But we aren’t.”

“Did you already know that we weren't the night of your graduation party? The night out on the deck?”

Scarlet stains his cheeks, and he looks down. “No, I didn’t.” The words hit me square in the chest. “And that’s pretty sick. Trust me, I know. I tried to stay away from you. I did. But I just…at that moment, I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. When it comes to you, everything else falls away. I did what I did that night with full knowledge of how wrong it might be, but I wanted you more than I wanted to be right. I don’t know if that’s a good answer, or if you’re going to need some time with it, or if you’re totally repulsed by me now, or whatever. Or maybe you hate me because I took that choice away from you. I should’ve asked permission, I should’ve told you everything, but I couldn’t. Icouldn’t, and I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to. That’s the truth. I promised you I would tell you the truth about everything if you just woke up again, so there it is. I would never have stopped wanting you, no matter what that test said. You are it for me, Tessa Becker. You’re inside me. A part of me.” He touches his chest. “As much a part of me as the blood in my veins and the air in my lungs. I don’t know that I could exist without you. I’m just really hoping I never have to find out.”

---