Page 43 of Carter's #Undoing

I exhaled. “There were days when I thought they had, but you’re right, they didn’t.”

Carter leaned his forehead to mine, both of us sitting there in silence for a while.

“I wish I could give you time to process things this morning,” Carter said. “But the guys are on their way here.”

“I thought you said they were staying at a cabin Scotch had nearby for a while?”

“They were, but our contact informed us that Rodney is in New York.”

“Is it because he thinks there’s a chance I’m still there?” I asked.

“Possibly.”

“So we’re headed to New York instead of staying here?”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Serenity, we’re not going to spend the rest of our lives hiding from this man. I already reached out to Malakai, so he and Crayson know we’re coming. Scotch and the others will head there with us. You don’t really need to pack much, but I’m not taking you to your home, so pack enough for a few days.”

“Okay.” I got out of bed slowly, Carter’s eyes watching my every move to make sure I was okay. “You don’t have to protect me from the truth anymore, Carter.”

The vein in his neck twitched. “Yeah, I know I don’t. You’ve always been stronger than anyone realizes.”

I forced a smile, because even though I didn’t feel like smiling, Carter needed to see that I was okay. “I appreciate you for saying that.”

“It’s true.”

“I know it is.” My eyes held his. “And you’re a good man, Carter Madden. A much better man than anyone gives you credit for.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” I told him. “Only a man with a heart much bigger than he allows people to see would bury the details of a traumatic experience so that the other person involved doesn’t hurt as badly.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Carter, I know I was driving your truck that night,” I admitted. “I only just remembered in my nightmare.”

He dragged his fingers down his face. “I hadn’t expected them to follow me out of your house, and I couldn’t get you out of the driver’s seat.”

“I know,” I admitted. “I think I was angry and fed up. You hadn’t wanted me to drive because of in the state of mind I had at the time.”

“But you had to,” he said. “Serenity, they were trying to kill us.”

“I remember it,” I replied.

“Then you know they followed us for miles and that you barely swerved out the way before they flipped their vehicle. You may have been driving, but I was the one who left them for dead that night.”

“We’re both responsible,” I told him. “But I’m more responsible for that accident than you are.”

“Self-defense has no room for unwarranted blame,” he corrected. “We’re both survivors of that night.”

The love in his eyes and the strength in his words hit me harder than I’d been prepared for. I walked over to hug him then, the rest of the tears I’d been holding in drenching his shirt. When I felt his body slightly shake, I glanced up and noticed he was emotional himself, only the few tears he had didn’t seem to be for his sake, but for mine. My true hero whether he saw himself like that or not.

He gazed down into my eyes, years of unanswered questions finally resolved between us. I decided right then and there, that no matter what Carter needed from me, I would do everything in my power to provide it. If he needed understanding, I’d empathize every time. Acceptance? He had it. Loyalty? Without question. Forgiveness? I could cry a million tears over the fact that everything he gave up for me was enough to last several lifetimes. Love? Carter Madden had stolen my heart at twelve and I hadn’t given it to another man since. I’d never stopped being his.

I was ready for them to do whatever they had to do to get Rodney out of our lives for good. And when all of this was over, I wanted to start making good on my promises to be the heroine Carter Madden needed by his side.

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