Page 51 of Inherited Holiday

He rendered me speechless.

All I had were emotions spilling out.

His hand rose to the side of my cheek.

I was feeling so much…

Yet not nearly enough.

I sucked in a breath when he took the locket out of my hands and placed it around my neck.

“There. Now it’s where it’s meant to be.”

It was then that I couldn’t take it any longer.

It was then that it became too much.

It was then that I may have ruined the moment…

NICHOLAS

Her lower lip trembled. “What happens now? You leave, and I don’t see you again for how long? Are you here to say goodbye? How does the rest of this play out?”

There was so much emotion behind her gaze. I knew they mirrored mine. Our eyes spoke for themselves as I took her face between my hands and caressed the sides of her cheeks with my thumbs.

My thoughts.

My words.

They all seemed to be intertwined with one another, pushing and pulling like a game of tug of war.

“What do you want from me?” she whispered, peering into my chest.

I lifted her chin so I could once again look into her beautiful eyes. The pain in her voice was tangible like I could reach outand touch it, obliterate it with my bare hands and replace it with something else—anything else.

“Whatever you have to give me,” I answered simply, wiping away the tears from her cheeks.

Her lips started quivering, unable to form words. I kissed her forehead, resisting the urge to claim every last inch of skin.

One of my biggest regrets in my life was leaving her…

“I can’t lose you again,” I stated the truth.

“You don’t have me now.”

“I forgot how adorable you are when you lie.” I nodded, looking deep into her eyes. “You’re in my arms, so I’ll take you any way I can.”

A frown pinched her face as she pulled away from me, shaking her head. Breaking our connection.

Both our stares darted in the direction it came from.

“Am I interrupting?”

Still, I couldn’t get my gaze to move.

Refocus.

Connect to my brother.

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