Page 413 of Rage

We hold each other for what feels like hours until time catches up with us.

“Stop saying you’re sorry,” I whisper harshly, kissing the top of her head. “I was just so worried. How did you even get close tohim? The report didn’t say much about how he died--just that he was the victim of a home invasion.”

Mila buries her face into my chest before whispering, “I pretended my car broke down and needed help. He was more than happy to let me in the house, and once I was inside, I pepper sprayed him.” She grabbed onto my thick wool sweater with her hands and I tightened my hold on her. “After I got him down on the ground, I kicked him in the head until he passed out. When he woke up, he was tied up on the floor in the kitchen, and I--I didn’t, I don’t know why I did it, but I just wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to pay for what he did to you.”

“How did you do it, baby?” I ask again, rubbing a circle into her back with one hand. I reach over to grab one of her pill bottles from the counter behind me before passing her a Xanax. She’s still prone to panic attacks, but at least her medication helps her when she starts to spiral. Luckily, she only packed what she needed for her trip and left the rest on the counter. She quickly swallows the small pill without water and continues clutching onto me as she tells me the rest.

“I told him I was there for you. I told him I loved you, and he needed to be gone so you could be free of him. I broke a bottle against his face and cut off his cock, and shoved it into his throat until he choked to death on it.”

“You love me?” Beckett asks, gently cupping my face and tilting it upward so he can look into my eyes.

“That’s what you heard from that?” I ask incredulously.

Beckett smiles. “The asshole died fittingly. Love how clever you are, you minx. You’re a fucking beautiful savage and I am lucky to know you, let alone be with you. But I don’t fucking care about my father right now. Do you mean it?”

“Yes.”

“You love me?”

“Yes.”

“You know I love you, too, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’ll marry me then?”

“Yes--Wait, what?” Mila asks suddenly, caught in her own trap. She tries to push herself back, but I hold her firm against me and kiss along her jawline.

“You already agreed. No takebacks. Besides, I can’t keep carrying this around in my pocket. This is New York, and I will get mugged for it sooner or later.” I’m trying to keep the energy in the room light as I get down on one knee and pull a small red box out of my pocket, but I’m shaking.

Can she tell I’m trembling?

This is the most vulnerable I have ever been, and it’s totally not the right time, but I know this is my future.Sheis my future. I know she’s the other piece of my shattered soul, and I don’t even want to pick up the pieces. I’m just happy to lay with her amongst the shards.

“Beckett,” she whispers as I slide the marquis-shaped diamond onto her finger. “Tell me this is real. Tell me I’m not just imagining you proposing to me because I’m so desperate to be happy that I’m making this up.Tell me–” A soft sob escapes her and cuts off her words as she sinks down to her knees in front of me until we’re at eye level.

“It’s real. We’re real. And we’re going to live a full, beautiful life. One with good therapists, great food, fantastic sex and love. God, I can’t wait to spend my life showing you how much I love you.”

Mila throws her arms around my shoulders and kisses me.

“I already know,” she smiles against my lips.

And she does. I proved I would do anything for her. And I did.

And she showed me she would do the same.

There’s no right way to heal, but there is a right way to love--

And we know how to do that.

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