Page 7 of Come to Head

He felt the tears as she began to cry, but he didn’t mention them. Instead, he continued to hold her, rubbing gentle circles on her back.

After a bit, she pulled back from him, her glistening eyes the only evidence of her distress.

“Emilio, this doesn’t change anything, but I need you to know.”

Emilio reached up wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, keeping his attention on her the entire time. “What is it, Bella?”

“I… This started as using you. As a way to escape the pain of what almost happened.”

Physically Emilio attempted not to react. But internally? A fire pilfered across his skin, darkening his vision, pounding into his heart, infiltrating every part of him. Molten rage. Emilio stamped down the anger that threatened to crawl up his throat. It wasn’t directed towards Isa.

The pedophile.

He had shot Sebastian. Sebastian should have died, but he hadn’t. Instead, he was gone by the time hisfamily’sclean-up crew arrived to clear the body.

Sebastian hadn’t been found since. It was Emilio’s main regret. It was his excuse to never let Isa out of his sight.

Isa paused, unsure of his silence.

“Go on,” he pressed gently, dipping forward to pepper her face in soft kisses soothing his own soul with each brush against her skin.

“I know I’m too young, and I probably don’t know any better, but Emilio, I do—” An unexpected hiccup cut her off, and her cheeks turned pink. The hiccups hit her hard and she puffed her face as she held her breath aggressively.

No matter how adorable she looked, Emilio knew better than to laugh right now.

She let the air whoosh out and waited just a moment before shutting her eyes and squeezing them. “Fuck. I love you, dammit!”

Emilio dropped his hold on her in shock.

No. That wasn’t—

No. Emilio didn’t deserve—

No. Isa couldn’t—

His brain short-circuited as all his plans swirled in his mind.

In every scenario, he hadn’t accounted for her to actuallycareabout him. Tolovehim.

“But don’t get the wrong impression. I’m not breaking our promise.” Her eyes were open now, and they were boring into him.

He snapped out of his stupor. His brain switched gears.

He wouldn’t keep an innocent woman tethered to him.

But if she loved him? If she was willing to? What if she returned to him on her own accord?

Maybe this didn’t have to be good-bye. Maybe he could get what he wanted most. Maybe she could behis.

The spiraling questions and maybes piled up as an unhinged plan formed.

“Isa. I want to make a new promise. A pact.”

“What is it?”

He jumped on her, forcing Isa flat to the bed, his hands landing on the mattress on each side of her head, his lips centimeters from hers.

She let out a cute squeak of surprise. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her eyes coated in sleep, her body marred with bruises.

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