Page 147 of Redeeming the Villain

Spinning around, I hit him in the chest. “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to?—”

He pulls me into him, encasing me in his arms, and he starts to cry with me, clinging to me as tightly as I am to him. “I know, Bug. I know. But I’m right here. I’ve got you. Just take a deep breath with me, okay?”

Footsteps distract me, pulling my attention, but as I try to look, Malik holds my head in place, kissing my hairline.

The footsteps leave the room, and seconds or minutes pass by as our breathing starts to sync and slow.

“Alora?” Malik whispers my name with hesitation as exhaustion starts to weigh on me.

Inching away from him and looking up, I wipe my eyes, feeling the makeup beneath smear.

As he brushes my cheeks with his thumbs, his eyes show nothing but love. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”

“I’m not.” My voice surprises me, firm and confident. “That was the most honest conversation we’ve ever had.”

Leaning down, he kisses my forehead. “Let’s go home, baby.”

Nodding, I slide my hand into his, our fingers interlocking.

We head out of the empty banquet and find my three aunts waiting in the hall.

My aunts look up at us instantly, their faces wet with tears and worry. All three of them walk over to us, but they don’t stop until they wrap their arms around Malik and me.

“You were so brave, Alora. So strong,” Flora murmurs.

Fauna and Freya tell me they love me before releasing me from their tight hugs.

“Where’s Sunny?” I ask, my voice almost unrecognizable to my ears.

“She’s with Phillip, waiting in the car for you guys,” Fauna assures me.

I’m completely drained and mentally foggy. All I want to do is go home and crawl into bed, wrapped in Malik’s arms.

I rest my head on his arm. They look up at him, and have some sort of silent conversation.

“We’re going to be in town for a while, it seems. Call one of us tomorrow, okay?” Fauna asks me, squeezing my hand.

I nod, lifting my lips into a weak smile. “I will.”

Malik bends down and scoops my legs out from under me, cradling me against his chest.

“I can walk,” I whisper, looking up into his bloodshot purple eyes.

He sniffles, then smirks. “I know, but I can also carry you.”

Walking down the hall, he carries me toward the entrance of the event center, and I close my eyes, suddenly so exhausted from everything that just happened.

This was the biggest stressor I might have ever had, and I know I’m probably going to spend the next few days lying in bed. But it won’t be so bad with Malik and Sunny at my side.

My stomach twists with nausea, and I take a few deep breaths.

Malik somehow knew that it was my adrenaline saying that I was fine to walk. I’m drained.

Mentally, physically, I have nothing left to give.

The aftermath of the last few days has been …intense, to say the least. For everyone involved. But especially for Alora.

The image of her completely broken down in my arms when her dad was being taken away is burned so deep in my mind. That anguish was torture to watch because I couldn’t take it away. Not then and not now.

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