Page 223 of Time Stops With You

I gotta let her leave.

You’ll never see her again.

It’s better this way.

I love her.

I’m on the move before my brain can catch up. In three strides, I get to Nardi and take her hand to stop her from walking through the door. To my surprise, she wrenches her arm away and keeps going.

The thought that I should let her leave flits briefly through my mind. I said horrible things to push her away. Maybe there’s no coming back from that.

Die alone and miserable. Just like me.

I hear dad’s voice but, for the first time in a long time, I don’t listen.

Running up to Nardi, I wrap my arms around her waist and hug her from behind. She pries at my biceps, but I hold firm and drop my face into the dip of her neck and shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” I rasp. “I’m sorry, Nardi.”

“Let me go, Cullen,” she sniffs.

I hug her tighter.

Nardi remains stiff in my arms. “Even if I love you, I’m not going to be your doormat. I won’t let you hurt me just because you’re hurting. I’d rather leave.”

I believe that she would. Her inner strength is one of the many things I love about her. “I know. I’m sorry for talking to you that way. I won’t ever do it again.”

She brushes away the tear coursing down her cheek with a bent finger.

My heart breaks completely. “I hate that I made you cry. Don’t cry, Nardi. Please forgive me.”

Nardi turns in my arms and looks up at me, her eyes boring into mine. “Are you asking me to stay?”

I drop my gaze, swallowing hard. “Yes.”

“Get on your knees.”

“What?” I blink.

“Get on your knees and beg me to stay.”

My lips fall into a thin line. I regret how harshly I’ve treated Nardi both today and when she came over the first time, but isn’t an apology enough?

Nardi watches me closely, taking note of every second that passes by. She turns away. “If you don’t want to…”

The thought of losing her makes the choice easy.

I drop to the ground and the thud of my knees hitting the floor fills the quiet house.

Nardi turns and watches me with a hint of surprise. She pries at my arms and tugs me to stand again. “Fine, I’ll think about staying. On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Don’t disappear on me.”

I hesitate. “Nardi…”

“I respect that you want to do things your own way. All I want is the same respect in return.”

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