Page 45 of Coming Home

“I will, thanks,” he told her.

“I’ll get the boys moving,” Maddie offered.

“Before MC leaves, I’m taking your girl hostage. With this new revelation, we desperately need a ladies’ night,” Lily told Ben.

He laughed. “Understood.”

As Ben and I headed back upstairs I was struck by just how surreal the morning had been.

“Everyone’s handling the news really well. It’s weird,” I said.

“You and I have been together practically our entire lives. I don’t think anyone is all that surprised to see us together now.”

“Maybe.”

Once in my bedroom, I shut the door behind us. Ben turned and pinned me up against it. I sighed as his lips descended on mine.

“I’m going to have a terrible time trying to keep my hands to myself today,” he admitted.

“I have a feeling your mother isn’t going to be as happy about our news as my family seems to be,” I said. I was more than a little nervous to tell her.

“Why would you think that?”

I shrugged.

“Sport?”

“Fine, she was warning me off yesterday, reminding me that you broke my heart last time you left and that you were only home for a few weeks and would be leaving me again.”

He growled and punched the door above my head as he pushed away from me. “That’s what the two of you were talking about?”

I nodded. I wasn’t scared by his action, I could literally feel his frustration.

“It’s not going to be like that this time, Shelby. You are my mate. As long as it doesn’t put the team in jeopardy, we can video chat every day. Yes, I have to go back, but it will only be temporary. I don’t want to leave you, but I’m going to have to. You know that, right?” he said, running a hand across his short-cropped hair.

“I know,” I told him. “And I trust you when you say this time will be different.” I prayed he was right, because I didn’t think I’d survive it if he went dark on me again, this time with an unresolved bond.

“You look worried,” he said with a frown.

“Can’t help it, but I’m hoping for the best,” I said honestly.

Ben sighed and pulled me back into his arms. “I know I have a lot to prove to you this time. Just hang in there, sport. I’m not going to let you down.”

“Did you know that Lizzy and Cole went a decade with an unresolved bond? I’ve seen what that does to a person, Ben, and it terrifies me.”

He kissed the top on my head. “I’m not leaving here with anything unresolved, Shelbs. That’s a promise.”

I stared up at him, surprised by what he’d just said.

“You want to seal the bond?” I asked.

He chuckled and brushed the hair from in front of my eyes. “Is that really so shocking? It took a lot of restraint not to do it last night.”

“Why didn’t you?” I asked.

“Last night was about you and me, sport. It’s been too long. I’ve missed you so much and I didn’t want to get caught up in the frenzy of the bond. I just wanted you,” he said honestly.

“Last night was perfect.”

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