Page 27 of A Wilder Wedding

But then he was being pulled off me as footsteps thundered around us, and I was pulled into strong arms. Arms I knew. Arms that I loved.

Amos held me close, as Trace and Ridge and the others went to Adam and Morgan, dealing with them.

“It was the wine club guy. The guy who was always so nice. The guy who I thought had a crush on Maddie. I didn’t do anything. Promise. Oh my God. It was Morgan. It was Morgan.”

I kept repeating it as Amos held me close, carrying me up the stairs and into the workroom next to Eli’s office.

He ran his hands over me, checking me for injuries, and I just stood there shaking.

“Did he hurt you? Naomi? What happened?”

I shook my head. “He didn’t hurt me. I fell and I bruised myself probably, but he hurt Adam. Adam was bleeding.” That’s when I realized I had blood on my hands, on my sides.

Tears began to fall in earnest, and Amos cursed under his breath.

“Baby, is any of this yours?”

I shook my head. “It’s Adam’s.”

“The others will make sure Adam is taken care of. But I need to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine.”

I began to calm down and tried to come to terms with what had just happened. I pulled away from Amos, knowing I needed to be strong.

Because I wanted to break down in his arms, but I couldn’t.

Not when we would just fall back into that same cycle. And I couldn’t. Even with everything that was going on, I could not get back into that cycle.

“You should go check on them.” I gestured behind him towards Trace, who stood in the doorway, looking us both over. “Trace is here. You should go back to work or something.”

He scowled at me. “I can’t, Naomi.” He paused, his gaze bracing. “I love you.”

I wiped away the tears, telling myself I would not cry again. “You can’t say you love me when the world is ending, Amos. You have to say it in the good times. Not just the painful. How can I know you mean it?”

He cursed under his breath. “Of course I mean it, Naomi. You didn’t let me tell you before.”

“You mean the last time I was attacked? Amos, I can’t keep doing this.”

“I mean it. I love you.”

But before I could say anything, before I could tell him to go, or to fall in his arms at the words that I had been waiting to hear forever, the authorities and EMTs were there pulling us away, and I looked across the long hall at him, wanting him to stay, needing him to leave.

Knowing I needed to make a decision.

Because I had waited forever to hear those words.

I was afraid it was too late.

That he would push me away again when the cloud of losing me would fade away.

And I had to be worth more than that.

Or maybe I could have everything I had ever dreamed of.

I hated not having the answer.

CHAPTEREIGHT

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