Page 65 of GAF Factor

“And even then, through it all, he did everything he could for her. I still remember him holding her when she was sick, carrying her to the bathroom when she was too weak to walk, and holding her when she cried. And I—I remember the devastation in his eyes when we came home and she was gone. The light went out of his life. Nothing could ever replace what they shared. She was his forever, the only fucking spark in his life.”

I brushed my thumb along her lip, knowing she would be the death of me someday, and I’d gladly take any bullet if it meant she lived.

“All those fucking years alone with my old man, I wondered why I wasn’t enough, and now I understand it,” I said, staring into her eyes. “I knew it the moment I saw those green eyes in the alley. I felt that same fucking spark deep inside me, and I fucking knew exactly why he withered away without her. There’s no going back now. I won’t let anyone else fucking touch you and there’s no fucking way I’m ever letting you go. You gave yourself over to me. You’re my fucking spark, Isla.”

17

ISLA

Words weremeaningless if the actions didn’t follow. I knew that from years of living with Shawn. At first, everything was perfect between us, but when things started to change, those three little words that used to mean so much were suddenly a lead weight in my stomach. How could he possibly speak those words when they were laced with so much hate? When every action spoke the exact opposite?

Those three little words had come to mean nothing to me.

And now, three other words replaced those. Three words that held so much meaning that I didn’t need to question how Knox felt about me or what would happen from here on out. It was clear in my mind where this was going. We would be together through anything, and nothing would ever tear us apart.

You’re my spark.

I hid my smile as he pulled up outside my house and shifted into park.

“Don’t take too long to pack. Our flight is in three hours.”

“Where are you going?”

“To get a few provisions.”

He grabbed my hand and tugged me closer, pressing his lips to mine. I felt a small tug on my curls as he wrapped a fingeraround one of them. “Fucking gorgeous,” he murmured against my lips.

I couldn’t help the smile that broke out on my face. I had once thought of IKE as a slick, arrogant jerk who only cared about riling me up. Maybe he was still slick and arrogant, but that didn’t bother me nearly as much as it used to. Besides, there were too many other pieces of him that were clicking into place, making it impossible to hate him.

I shoved open the door, brushing off the chill as I took off my coat. “Riley!”

She popped her head out of the kitchen, staring at me in shock. “Oh my gosh. Isla? Is it really you?” She rushed over to me, her eyes wide with wonder.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let me touch your face. It’s been so long,” she said, shoving her hands in my face.

I knocked them away, rolling my eyes at her antics. “I’ve been gone a few days.”

“You don’t call. You don’t write. It’s like you didn’t care at all what happened to me,” she whimpered.

“The only thing that happened to you was too much sex all over the house,” I said, walking over to the couch and tossing my purse down.

She cringed. “Yeah, speaking of which, you might not want to put anything on there yet. Haven’t had a chance to um…clean up.”

I snatched my purse off it and glared at her. “Hey, you can’t say anything. I had to walk all over your sex floor on Christmas Day!”

“My sex floor? You make it sound so dirty.”

“I walked in on your Christmas morning. Trust me, there was nothing clean about what I saw.”

I rolled my eyes and headed upstairs. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that.”

She hurried after me. “Why? Did he leave you already?”

“Why would he leave me?”

“Because you’re hopelessly, tragically destined to fall for the next man who comes into your life. It’s like a thing for you.”

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