Page 59 of Cast in Shadow
He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth before leaning his muscled forearm on the top of my door. “Then what you can do can stay between us, for now.”
That should have been a relief, but I still didn’t know if Icould really trust him. We hadn’t resolved anything. His people still wanted me dead. Where did that leave us?
With everything happening in our two worlds, it seemed like a ridiculous thing to be concerned about. Especially since I wasn’t completely sure I wanted there to be an us. It was that hesitation that kept me from asking the question.
Emerson reached through the window and tugged my hand away from the steering wheel. I almost yanked it back, but his touch was so gentle that I let him pull it toward him. He pressed his lips to my palm. “I’m sorry for pushing you.”
“I doubt that.”
His head canted an inch to the side. “I needed to know.”
“And now you do.” Far more than I wanted him to know.
“How about this—I’m sorry for hurting you.” He turned my wrist and pressed another warm kiss to my knuckles before guiding my hand back to the steering wheel. “Just now and back… in the beginning.”
I bit the inside of my lip hard and gave my head a little shake, my gaze inextricably drawn to the spot he’d kissed on the back of my hand. That apology was far too little and over a century too late.
“I made a mistake back then.”
A weak huff slipped through my lips. “I know.”
“No, you don’t.” His strong fingers gripped my chin, turning me to face him again. His blue eyes searched mine.
“I heard you, Emerson.”
“What you heard was a lie.” He let me go, his hand falling away. “I was lying to myself and didn’t even know it. Not until I lost you.”
I sat there, holding his gaze, turning his words over in my mind. A bold claim. A dangerous one.Was it an ugly truth or clever fiction?
I closed my eyes and drew in a measured breath. The ache in my chest dragged me back to the present.
He wanted me to believe… what exactly? That he didn’t realize how much I meant to him until I was gone? That he would never have hurt me intentionally? I wanted to believe that. Gods, I wanted to. But it couldn’t be true. Because hehadhurt me. Moments ago, without hesitation.
And worse? I’d let him.
Why?
Because a weak, foolish part of me—the part that had always loved him—was still clinging to life inside me.
But could he really love me back? Did I even want that anymore?
I honestly didn’t know.
And no matter the answer, there was no undoing what was done.
Opening my eyes, I shook my head and leaned back. “What are we going to do about Megan?”
His shoulders slumped just a touch, and for the first time I could remember, I saw a hint of true exhaustion, like his thousands of years in our world were finally starting to wear him down. He reached through the window and brushed his thumb across my temple. “I’ll be in touch.”
And just like that, he was gone.
I leaned my head back against the seat and glared up at the charcoal headliner. I just needed a minute to pull myself together, but before I could, I felt the telltale press of Emerson reaching out.
I eased my inner walls down.“That was quick.”
A warm wave of affection washed through me. It was almost like being wrapped in his arms, but I felt the pain hiding beneath it.“I meant what I said.”
“About what?”
