Page 291 of Boys Who Taint

“Levi, stay with me,” Mom says.

“Please, please, Levi, don’t leave me,” Aspen begs.

And I wish I could.

I wish I could stay with her a little longer.

Just one second more.

“Please, Levi, I need you.”

My eyes are slowly closing despite my best efforts to stay awake.

My muscles are tired, and my body is shredded.

I can’t hold on much longer.

“Levi, c’mon, stay with me. Please, hold on. I need you with me,” Aspen cries.

Her voice fades away as I slowly disappear into a void.

My heart can finally rest in the peace it’s always craved.

CHAPTER 67

Levi

When I come to,there’s beeping all around me, and I’m not sure if it’s the relentless assault on my body that’s causing the giant headache or the constant noise from the machine.

How long was I out for?

God. Waking up after nearly being killed is no fucking joke.

“You’re awake …”

Her voice makes my eyes slowly open, and the first thing I see staring back at me are those ocean eyes, bringing a smile to my face.

“Hey, Firefly,” I mutter.

Tears well up in her eyes. “I thought I almost lost you.”

“I’m still here,” I respond.

She cries for a while, holding me tight, but then the inevitable anger takes hold, just like I’m used to from a Caruso. “Youcould’ve died!” She frowns, pointing at my chest. “Why did you let Silas kidnap you? Why didn’t you fight him off?”

“What was I supposed to do? Kill your brother?” I snort.

She slaps my chest. “It’s not funny.”

I laugh. “Making you angry is.”

“What the fuck, Levi.” She raises her fist, but it’s all an empty threat because she can’t even fight me when I’m at my weakest. Instead, she just grumbles like before. “You’re so, so, so, ahhh!”

“So, so, so …” I cup her face. “In love with you.”

Her whole body turns to mush just like her face when it rests in the palm of my hand. “It’s okay to be mad.”

“I was so scared,” she says, leaning into me. “You nearly—”

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