Page 96 of I Am Salvation

“Isn’t that for me to say?” I grab his face, force him to look at me. “I’m in love with you, Dragon. I didn’t plan to fall in love. A week ago, I barely knew you existed. Then you showed up on my doorstep, and I got to know you?—”

“You don’t know me.”

I slap him gently—but firmly—on his cheek. “I swear to God if you interrupt me again, I’m going to give you a good punch to your jaw. And yeah, I couldn’t possibly actually hurt you, but it’ll be worth it.”

He simply raises his eyebrows.

“Fine. Now let me finish.” I wait a moment, catching my breath. “I’m here for you. I want to do whatever I can to help you find Griffin. And your niece. And to put whoever did this behind bars.”

He looks down, runs his hands through his hair. “I just hate not being able to do anything. All I can do is wait to hear what Alayna says. She could call in a minute or a week. I have no idea.” He sighs. “I came here to see my mother. What a disappointment that was.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Really? Was it really a disappointment, Dragon? Did you really think the mother who abandoned you all those years ago would welcome you back with open arms?”

My words sound cruel, but they need to be said. Dragon did not come here thinking he would find a loving mother. He came here looking for answers about Griffin.

He says nothing for a moment, but then— “You’re right.”

I feel like I just ran a marathon. He’s telling me that I’m right?

It’s a far cry from returning my love, but it feels like a victory.

“But that’s not really the point,” he continues.

“Yeah? Then fill me in.”

“I’m not normal, Diana. I’ve told you before, you’ll get no hearts and flowers from me.”

I cross my arms. “Did I ask for hearts and flowers?”

“That’s what you deserve. Look at you.” He rakes his gaze over me. “A more beautiful woman never existed on this earth. Your hair is so silky. Your brown eyes are so deep. Your lips are so pink and full. And God, your body. Everything about you is perfect, Diana. And that’s what you deserve in return.” He shakes his head. “That’s not me.”

I throw my hands in the air. “For the love of God, Dragon. That’s not me either. I’m not perfect. I lost the best job in architecture—my dream job—after two days.”

“That’s not the same. You were following your morals.”

I shake my head. “No. I wasn’t going to send the damn email. I decided to back away from it, my tail between my legs. The only reason I lost my job was because I was so naïve that I didn’t realize my boss was spying on my computer.” I take a deep breath, lower the tone of my voice. “I was going to stick it out. Stick it out so my colleagues wouldn’t lose their jobs. Wouldn’t lose their holiday bonuses. I made the wrong decision, Dragon. At least at first. I see that now. I’m far from perfect.”

He finally sits down on the other side of the bed. He takes my hand. And then he looks at me. Really looks into the depths of my soul.

“You are to me,” he says.

The words. They’re almost better than hearing I love you. But if he’s decided to put me on some kind of pedestal, I need to change that quickly. The higher up you are, the farther you fall.

“Thank you for saying that,” I say. “But I’m simply a human being, just like you. You may like how I look?—”

He holds up a finger. “You’re beautiful, but that’s not all there is to you.”

Warmth flows through me. “Thank you. And you’re gorgeous, but that’s not all there is to you either.”

He looks away again. “I was used up long ago. I don’t have anything left to give.”

“I call bullshit.” I grab his hands. “I don’t think you’ve ever given what you have to give. You were mistreated. You were wronged. There are things I’m sure I don’t even know about. But I can imagine, Dragon. Believe me, I can imagine.”

He stays silent.

Sadness laces his gaze.

I want to hold him. Not just hold the man I love but hold the little boy he was. The little boy who only wanted his parents’ love. Who only wanted to stay home with his baby sister.

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