Page 149 of BounBound By Scars

He turned slowly. “No one knows I’m here. And no one can know. If they suspect I’ve broken cover—”

“You have! You’re here, Kabir!”

He closed the distance between us. “I had to see you. I had toknow. But I can’t stay. I’m in too deep now. I have access. Intel. Things we didn’t even know existed.”

I got up then, standing on my shaky legs. “So what, you show up in the middle of the night and then vanish again like you were never real?”

“I will come back.”

“When?” My voice cracked. “When this is all over? When they’ve already won?”

“I don’t know. Maybe weeks.”

“Or months. Or… never,” I whispered.

He stepped closer, slowly, gently cupping my face again. “I’m closer than we’ve ever been. I can feel it. If I pull out now, we lose everything.”

I closed my eyes as tears slipped out again.

“I can’t lose you twice,” I said, barely audible. “I thought you were dead.”

“I thoughtyouwere,” he said, thumb brushing a tear away. “But you’re here. I’m here. And I promise—Iwillcome back,Heer.”

I shook my head, breath catching. “Don’t say that.”

He kissed my forehead.

“I mean it. You have me. I’ll be back”

My eyes flew open.

“Ihaveyou?” I echoed, pulling back. “You say that, Kabir—but I don’t want tohaveyou. I want tokeepyou.”

His lips parted.

“I want you more than just in between the fucking missions,” I continued. “I wantus. The missions be damned.”

He looked like he couldn’t breathe. “Amelia, this is bigger than we thought. Bigger than Romano. If we don’t stop it—”

“I don’t care!” I shouted, voice trembling. “I don’t care if the world ends, Kabir. We’ll figure out another way. I’m tired of choosing between survival and love.”

He pulled me into a tight embrace, holding me like it was the last time.

Maybe it was.

“I’ll come back,” he whispered again, his voice raw. “But you need to cancel the op. Please. If I’m right…”

“I’ll try,” I said against his chest, barely holding it together.

I felt his lips on my forehead. A light brush.

Then he stared at me like even looking at my face was breaking him.

He planted a hard kiss on my lips and then, just like that—

He was gone.

Again.

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