Page 36 of Savage Little Queen

“I love you. This is just really hard for me,” I said softly.

“I know. I understand.”

I reached out and drew him in for a hug.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly and held me back.

I wasn’t sure what was happening to me, but I’d become a bag of fucking salty tears in the last few weeks.

I let out a broken sob as we clung to one another. The pain in my shoulder had nothing on the pain in my chest. We’d all been through so damn much. But we were still here. Still standing.

I couldn’t just sweep any of that under the rug.

We were destined for greatness. I knew we were.

“I fucking love you,” I whispered again. “Don’t do that shit to me again. Fucking promise me.”

“Swear it. I swear it, Levin.”

We hugged one another tighter before finally breaking apart. The sound of Vin’s voice filled the outside hall before he came into the room.

“Levin, man. Dom wants you— ” his words faltered. “Sorry. I’ll come back.”

“It’s fine. Dom needs him. I have to see Nattie anyway. Maybe we can hang out and watch a movie later or something,” Stefan said.

I nodded. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

He smiled before giving me another hug and leaving the room.

“You guys OK?” Vin asked, worry on his face.

I nodded. “I guess. It’ll be a while before things go back to the way they were. I’m happy he’s here.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “Not right now. Maybe later. I haven’t gotten to see bumblebee as much as I’ve wanted to. She and I need to talk.”

He nodded. “She’s happy today. Dom and Fallon got along.”

“Good.” I smiled at that. Fallon still had a fuck ton of groveling to do, but at the end of the day, if she loved the asshole, then maybe I could learn to love him again.

Admitting I ever cared for the prick was still a sore spot with me. I still wanted to beat his ass. I even said it to Vin a moment later.

Vin winked at me. “Then come with me. I think that’s exactly what Dom wants to talk to you about.”

Vin turned to leave, but I grabbed his hand. We also needed to talk.

He stared at me with dark eyes that made my heart thrum hard.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said softly. “Not right now. Dom, B, and Fallon want to talk to us all later. Let’s focus on the happiness and not the fucked-up shit going on in your head.”

“I love you, Vin,” I whispered. “You know that, right?”

A sad, shaky smile graced his lips.

“I love you too. I’m not ready to say goodbye.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “It’s not goodbye.”