Page 226 of A Love Like Venom

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Fuck!

Striding towards her I don't stop until I have her precious face in my hands. Where her eyes can't look anywhere but into mine.

Her beautiful eyes are shimmering with tears and I hate to see them there.

"You are not to blame. Angel, I never once blamed you. Never even had the thought crossed my mind. Tell me you know that you aren't to blame."

"Deep down inside I know that. Yet here we are. The both of us not being able to forgive ourselves."

A tear starts to fall down her cheek but I catch it with my thumb. "If we forgive each other," I begin gruffly, "then we have to forgive ourselves."

Her hands slide up my chest, up my neck and land on either side of my face. "I forgive you, Reed Carter."

I bring my head down to where it rests on her forehead. "I forgive you, Alice Hall."

And it feels as if she's breathing life into me. A new life for the both of us. Together. One where we don't wear the burdens of our pasts on our backs. One where we no longer feel guilty.

I wouldn't be where I am today without her. And I wouldn't be the man I am if it wasn't for her.

This woman, this beautiful courageous kind hearted woman is everything to me.

And I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

She is the first person I want to see in the morning and the last at night. I want to hold her in my arms forever and even that isn't enough. I want to breathe her in until she's a part of me. I want to be tied to her in every way possible. And I will. Soon. There's just a few more things I need to take care of first. Then and only then, when everything is finally behind us I'll get down on one knee.

"I'm finishing it."

"Tonight?" Oak asks me. After my physical therapy appointment I returned to the compound with Alice. One day soon we won't be living here anymore. Although it's bittersweet I know once I ask her to marry me we will want a place of our own. Our home may reside in each other but Alice and I never grew up in a "home". And I want to give that girl everything.

But I have to finish this. I won't start the next chapter of our lives when there are pages before us unfinished.

I nod. "Tonight."

"You want help?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah and I won't be alone. Alice will be with me."

"She deserves to be there, Snake. I know you want to protect her as much as you can but she needs this, too."

I raise a brow at him. My tone should be teasing but it comes out a tad bit hard instead. “You think you know what my girl needs?"

Oak rolls his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you I see her as my sister."

"Apparently not fucking enough," I grumble. Believe me, I get it, I truly do. And I'll forever be thankful for Oak for helping take care of Alice when I was in that hospital for three months. I also understand that Oak and her have formed an unlikely bond. As she told me countless times Oak isn't just my best friend he's one of hers now, too. And I know she sees him as a brother. And I think it's fucking sweet how she cares for him. That's the lightness inside of her. It's why I fell in love with her. She has compassion.

But. . . I do have a little green monster inside me when it comes to men with my girl. Do I know she loves me.Ab-so-fucking-lutely. Do I know she can't live with me?Un-fucking-doubtedlty.

Call it caveman-ish, call it possessive but I hate the thought of my girl being with another man.

Though I have no reason to worry, like none. Because one, I know Alice will never leave me, we're destined from the stars and nothing can tear us apart, and two, Oak would never do something like that. Plus, he really does see her as a little sister.

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