Page 27 of Fall

“Why do you protect me?” she asks.

“I feel like you’re mine to protect,” I whisper, freezing as she kisses me.

Her lips brush against mine, reminding me how she tastes like sweets and how soft her lips are. I don’t hold back this time as I kiss her back, and she melts into me. I roll myself over her, holding my weight with my hands as we kiss.

“Harley.” She moans as I push my body into her gently and slowly kiss down her neck.

I stop and look up at her, watching as she smiles lightly. That smile does me in, it makes me like her more, and my breath stops. If I take this any farther, if I let myself be with her and then something happens to me in that fight, she would be alone and I would hurt her. She doesn’t deserve that.

“Why did you stop?” she asks.

“I can’t take this farther, not yet. Remember, no promises.” I tell her, making her frown because she can’t understand.

“No promises . . . but can’t we just–” She sighs, pushing her body into mine, and it takes a hell of a lot of willpower to resist her. I shake my head, gently kissing her again.

“Is it because I’m pregnant? Does that freak you out?” she asks, and I laugh.

“Not at all. This isn’t because I don’t want you, because I do,” I say, knowing she can feel how turned on I am.

“I promised myself no serious relationships until The Cage is behind me. I can’t be with you and risk my life there. I want to be honest with you. I’m no good for a girl like you,” I tell her, watching as her face goes from sad to angry.

“That’s a load of bullshit. You can’t choose whether I like you or not. You can’t time falling for someone,” she says.

“It’s not. You need a family man, someone better than me. I won’t drag you down to my level, Tilly, but I will protect you,” I tell her firmly.

“So you will keep me safe but won’t be with me?” she asks, and I nod.

I slide off the bed, only looking back once at Tilly, wishing things were fucking different. The big fight is coming up soon, and I doubt I’m going to survive it anyway. I’m going to make sure she is protected, that my whole family is. I won’t let her fall for me only to have her heart broken.

“This is a mistake, Harley,” she says gently, before rolling over in bed and facing away from me.

It is a mistake, a mistake because I’ve already fallen for her.

Chapter Fourteen

Harley

Two months later…

“Congratulations, Tilly. She is so beautiful,” Izzy says as she looks down at my little girl in my arms. The midwives just finished cleaning me up after I gave birth, and I can’t look away from her. She looks like my mum, with her red hair and bright-blue eyes. She doesn’t look like him, for which I’m thankful. I finally get what the books say about that instant love you feel when you look at your child, that bond. It feels like my heart is going to burst with love as I stare down at her, knowing I would do anything to keep her safe. I don’t regret a single moment of my life, not anymore, because I would have never have gotten here. I lean down and kiss her forehead, loving the new baby smell she has. I swear nothing smells as lovely as she does in this moment.

“Thank you, she is,” I reply, watching as she yawns. Every movement she makes is cute. There is no other way to describe her.

“You need to call your parents, they should know, and your brothers, too. They love you, Tilly,” Izzy says gently, and I look over at her. I know she means well, but the idea of having anyone from France near my child right now is making me paranoid.

“The moment I tell them, he will find me. I’ve spoken to them twice in the last two months, and they know we ended badly. They promised not to tell anyone where I am, but I know he is still friends with Devon,” I say, thinking of my brother and how I wish I could talk to him. I glance at the fox tattoo on my wrist, knowing things are not going to get better overnight like I want them to.

“He won’t ever go near you; he would have to go through me first,” Harley says, coming into the room, looking tired but relieved all at the same time.

After our kisses all those months ago, we have become closer friends, and he has never been anything else to me. He takes me out on dates and meals all the time. He buys me baby things and makes me food when I am too tired to cook. But we never talk about us. I almost hate that he seems to have forgotten those kisses when it’s all I can think about.

Harley is dressed far more casually than I’m used to seeing him, with just jeans and a grey jumper on. His hair is bundled at the back of his head, and he gives me a happy look.

“You can’t promise that, Harley,” I respond as he comes in and sits in the chair by the bed. He looks over at my daughter and then up to me.

“I can,” he tells me gently.

Harley waited outside throughout the whole labour, and Izzy was holding my hand throughout it in here. The labour was short,thank God, but painful. Harley wanted to come in, but I think I just needed it to be Izzy and me. I was already sad my mother couldn’t be here, and Izzy is the only thing close to family I have here. I was surprised Harley didn’t mind, he told me to do whatever made me happy and that he would be nearby. Then he kissed my forehead as a long contraction came on, and the midwives took me into the birthing unit.

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