Page 76 of Kortlek

“Scared of what, exactly?”

I sigh. “I know you. If I’d told you about Rose, you would’ve gone onto the first plane and run straight after her!”

“Yes, because that’s what friends do!” She yells, annoyance and anger written on her face.

I clench my fists by my side, dangerously close to grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her until she sees reason. My feet drag me toward her until there’s an inch separating us. My fingers twitch, itching to touch her, but I suppress the desire and take a deep breath.

“Listen to me, bunny,’’ I lowered my voice. “Rose will be alright. He won’t hurt her. He knows that she’s the only bargaining chip he has, so she’ll be okay.’’

“You can’t know that! Not for sure, anyway. Wyatt’s unpredictable, and if he snaps, it always gets ugly.’’

“He won’t kill her.’’

Aria takes a deep breath, and I can practically see steam coming out of her ears. Her left eye twitches in irritation, a trait she and Arlo share. It’s unnerving how similar they are when they’re angry. From the posture and facial expressions to the way their breathing gets heavy and the way they bite the inside of their cheeks.

“No one can guarantee that,’’ she snaps. “And most importantly — why would you want to keep this from me? Cove, it’s Rose. It’s someone I care about deeply. She’s been with me through some shit times, and she doesn’t deserve this! You should’ve told me.’’

“I couldn’t!” I snap back. “Do you not understand how much I’m fucking scared all the damn time? I’m scared shitless of something happening to you, Aria! I’m terrified you’ll try to kill yourself again! I’m fucking petrified of the thought of that bastard getting his hands on you again! It fucking kills me on the inside that I didn’t get the chance to kill him!”

Realizing that I’d raised my voice, I stepped back and turned my back to her. I take a deep breath, trying to get a hold of my emotions and not to snap again. I never wanted Aria to see this uncontrolled side of me.

“Why?” She pries, walking until she blocks the exit of the kitchen, stopping right at the door and preventing me from leaving. “Why do you take it so fucking personally? It’s my life.’’

“Because I love you, you daft girl!’’ I yell back. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life. I love you more than I ever thought it would be possible to love another person! The thought of losing you makes me want to kill people! The thought of losing you is slowly killing me on the inside!”

As soon as my little rant is over, I clamp my mouth shut. Aria’s eyes widen ever so slightly, then they soften. The anger she seemed to be holding onto disappears for the time being. She takes a step closer to me, cupping my cheek with one hand.

My eyes close, and I lean into her touch; the warmth of her skin causes a shiver to rush through my body. My heart hammers against my ribcage so loudly that I’m surprised she’s not complaining about the noise.

“Cove,’’ she whispers. “Look at me,’’ the plea in her soft voice makes my eyes snap open immediately.

She’s so close. Aria gets on her tiptoes, softly pressing her lips against mine. The kiss is filled with passion — tenderness I’m not used to. It’s different. The good kind of different. My hands wrap around her waist, tugging her closer to me.

With ease, I pick her up and sit her on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapping around my waist. Her arms enclose around my neck, her fingers softly intertwining with my hair. She tugs on it lightly, my hands gripping on her waist.

I break the kiss when I feel something wet on my cheek. My brows narrow; worry gawks at me as I see those gorgeous baby blue eyes swollen with tears, a few dripping down her chin. I wipe them with my thumbs, holding her face softly.

“What’s wrong, bunny? Why are you crying?”

A small laugh comes from her, and she shakes her head. “It’s just… I never thought you’d say it. It feels unreal. You, the man who’s always been struggling with expressing his emotions, has admitted that he loves me.’’

I snort, kissing her forehead, leaving my lips to linger on her skin.

“What can I say? It’s around two years overdue.’’

Aria pinches my chest, causing a wince from me. Her arms wrap around my waist, and she rests her head against my shoulder, her face buried in my shirt. She takes a deep inhale, then relaxes. My fingers move in random patterns all over her back, feeling her completely loosen up.

Two years ago when she confessed to me, all I felt was immense lust and the need to fuck her.

Now, I can’t imagine my life without her.

Aria’s the only source of light in my life, the only thing keeping me sane and grounded. I love this woman more than I’ll ever love anyone. She’s my forever, whether she likes it or not, and there’s nothing that she can do about it.

My perfect little bunny.

“Hey, Cove?”

Aria murmurs, lifting her head off my shoulder. The tears stain her cheeks, and she wipes them with the back of her sleeve before giving me a soft smile. The amount of affection in her eyes nearly causes my heart to leap from excitement.

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