Page 58 of Goose

Goose

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BAMBI HAD COMPLETELYbroken down and told me everything last night. She cried all throughout the night, even in her sleep.

My heart hurt knowing what she had gone through alone. I should have been there, but I was a selfish prick. I let the darkness consume my soul and turned on her.

Bambi had bared her soul to me, and it was like the dawn of a new day. I wasn’t going to sit back and play childish games. Bambi is mine and always has been. It was time to show her my true feelings.

I had broken my promise to always protect her, and that hurt me more than anything. I had so much making up to do and wasn’t sure if I could ever amount to what she deserved. My darkness was all-consuming, but she was the only one to ever see it.

I vowed to do whatever I could to show her how much she means to me. Bambi was entrenched in my soul and I was never letting her go again. I would never break my promise again.

As Bambi slowly opens her eyes, I lean down and kiss her. I hold her face in my hands and kiss her like there’s no tomorrow.

As I pull back, Bambi gives me a slight smile.

“Well, that’s quite the way to wake up.”

I smile and kiss her again.

“I’m so fucking sorry, angel. I should have been there for you. I should have pushed or let you tell me what happened. But I was dumb and a fucking down right rude ass. I was hurting, and I was being selfish.”

She cups her hand on my cheek and kisses me. “It’s okay-”

“No. No, it’s not okay. I love you, Bambi. I’ve always loved you. I had all these plans for us, and then your pop ruined them all. Then I ruined them some more. I was a fucking idiot.”

Bambi just shakes her head as I continue on.

“I was going to ask you to be my girlfriend on graduation day. I had the promise ring and everything. You’ve always been the girl I wanted to marry. Nobody else holds a candle to you, angel.”

Bambi smiles and wipes a few tears from her eyes. She leans back and gazes up at me with those blue eyes I fell in love with.

“No more crying, angel.”

“They’re happy tears, silly. And I’ve always loved you, Sawyer.”

I crush my lips to hers and can taste the salty tears that were falling down her face. My entire mood feels lighter now that I know the truth and finally told Bambi I love her.

All these years of fighting seem so ridiculous now, looking back. I should have just manned up, but now I have her and there was no way I was ever letting Bambi go again.

I’m burying my hands into her hair when my cell rings on the bedside table next to me. Growling, I roll over and answer it without looking at the name.

“Goose.”

“Hey man, it’s Striker.”

I sit up in bed as he talks.

“Listen, Lilah is coming home today, so I need someone with the kids.”

“No problem, brother. Any word on Zane?”

I can hear him sigh on the other end of the phone.

“No change. They want to keep him in the coma for a while to help him heal. Whoever did this to him wanted him dead.”

Bambi cries and I pull her into me as I talk to Striker.