Page 133 of Sweet Wicked Vows

I stopped checking my phone for messages and resisted lowering myself to stalking her social media accounts for even a glimpse into her life.

She wanted space and time, and though it was killing me, I was giving her what she wanted.

Whatever it took not to screw it up again.

If she decided to even give me a second chance.

Watching the waves ebb and flow, reality came trickling down like snowfall. A year ago, I would have happily spent the rest of my life alone.

No ties, no love, just me on my own.

Content.

But now? I feared that without Evelyn, I would never be able to return to my old ways.

It’s crazy how love could single-handedly ruin you.

I guess if I were to be ruined by it, I was happy that it was her that did it.

“I thought you hated the beach?”

I turned, adrenaline spiking my pulse as I watched Evelyn, in her white floral dress, walk toward me. Wind caught her red curls—non,it must be a dream.

A perfect sweet-scented dream.

She stopped right in front of me. “From what I recall, you hate how the sand gets everywhere.”

I reached out, fingers brushing her pink-tinged cheeks. My pulse jolted on contact. She was real. She was real and standing in front of me. My thumb ran over the curve of her jaw, savoring the feel of her. “You’re here.”

“I’m here.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked quietly, squashing down the flickers of hope of what her being here meant. “Did something happen?”

Teeth skimmed along her bottom lip. “No, everything isn’t okay.” She took my hand, removing it from her face.

I swallowed the rejection.

“You left,” she said firmly. “You left because I said I needed space to figure everything out. You just got up and left, and didn’t even stay in the same country.”

“It’s what you wanted…”

“I’m not finished,” she cut in, still holding my hand in hers. “And do you know what the worst thing was? I missed you. I missed you every damn day. Even when I told myself not to miss you, I fucking missed you more. You’re in my veins, Jaxon. You’re the breath I can’t expel, the blood pumping around my body...”

“Evelyn, my love…”

“I said I wasn’t finished.” Her voice turned raw. “I still don’t like what you did, but I forgive you. I forgave you when you toldme the truth about your past, and though it’s going to take a long time for me to trust you again…” She didn’t move as I stepped closer. “I want to learn to trust you again with my heart. Because no matter how much I lie to myself, it belongs to you.”

I said nothing, my entire body buzzing with anticipation.

“I believe we can rebuild the trust. It won’t be quick, but it’s possible. Anything is possible when it comes to you. And I want to do it with you by my side.”

A million and one fireworks exploded in my chest.

A fucking gospel chorus played between my ears as I ran my hands through her hair, twisting the strands and pressing my forehead against hers. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “These weeks without you have been torture, and even though it scares the hell out of me, I don’t want to miss another moment with you.”

If I were a praying man, I’d drop to my knees and praise whatever god listened.

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