Page 48 of Lie to Me

Why the fuck is he apologizing?

I’m the one who lost our baby.

“Were you not listening? I lost our baby, Marco. I didn’t even know I was pregnant.” My body trembles as I shake my head. “It was all my fault; how can you apologize to me? You should hate me.”

“No,” he snaps and pulls away from me, placing his hands on my shoulders and leaning down a little so he can look me in the eye. “Listen to me, Sloane. What happened was not your fault. It was fucking horrible, but itwas notyour fault. I should have fucking been there for you. You shouldn’t have had to be alone during that.” I go to interrupt him, but he shakes his head. “I don’t care that your aunt was there. It should have beenme. I could never hate you, Sloane, especially not for this.”

The burden I’ve been carrying for the last decade lightens a little with his words, but that pain will never truly go away.

I nod, unable to find any words, and he pulls me back into his chest once again. I look over to the window just in time to see a flash of lightning across the sky and I’m reminded of the reason he came here to begin with. I haven’t had any issues with storms since that night. It was like it had removed any other fears I had, numbing me to anything and everything else around me.

I blink back tears at the realization that the last barrier between me and Marco has come crumbling down. I don’t know where we’ll go from here, but it feels good knowing that we both know the truth about what happened back then.

“Show me to your room, little warrior,” he murmurs.

I hesitate, and he must see that hesitation written all over my face because he chuckles. “We’re gonna sleep, baby. You’re exhausted, but I don’t want to leave you just yet. Let’s go lie down, okay?”

I nod and lead him to my room. Neither of us bother to undress before he pulls me into bed with him. He pulls the comforter over the both of us, and just as I’m wondering howthe hell were going to do this, Marco makes the decision for me by pulling me into his chest and tucking my head under his chin while wrapping his arms around.

“Sleep, Sloane. We’ll figure everything else out tomorrow.”

It doesn’t take me long to drift into a dreamless sleep with his arms secured around me, protecting me and anchoring me to him.

Iwake to the smell of fresh coffee, which disorients me for a moment since I live alone before I remember the night before.

The storm.

Marco turning up at my apartment.

It wasn’t a lie.

Telling him about what happened after I left.

Marco holding me as I cried.

Clinging to him as we slept.

Well… What the fuck am I supposed to do now?

I hear a muted curse coming from the kitchen and my lips tip up in a smile. I use the bathroom and wash up before heading to the kitchen, finding Marco cooking something on the stove.

“Smells good,” I murmur as I hop up onto the counter.

Marco’s head swings towards me at the sound of my voice and he smiles, winking at me before focusing back on the omelet he’s cooking.

Fucking winks.

Jesus Christ, how am I meant to resist him when he sends me smiles like that and fucking winks? I may as well just spread myself out here on the counter and give in now.

Oblivious to where my thoughts were heading, Marco’s hands land on my hips as he lifts me from the counter so I’m standing, and motions towards the table.

“Sit,” he orders.

“So bossy,” I mumble, but follow his order anyway. Of course I do, he’s going to feed me.

He chuckles darkly, but doesn’t comment.

Asshole.

---