Page 52 of The Echo of Forever
He shut the trunk and stepped closer.
“There’s a selfish part of me that wants to fight you on that,” he said softly, fingers brushing mine before pulling them away. “Everything you know about us is lost, too.”
Our eyes danced as he’d said it.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing it really didn’t mean anything.
The pained expression staring back at me felt wrong, and I caused it, but what was I supposed to do? Lay myself bare for him?
“Don’t apologize for something that ain’t your fault,” he said, voice a tad sterner than before. “Let Dr. Holland give you a full checkup.”
I looked away and gently massaged my temple.
Do I trust the people who claimed to love me? The doctors who said nothing was wrong but threw chronic migraines into the mix to placate me? Or the meds that made me feel like a stranger in my own skin to the point I refused to take them ever again?
“You don’t have to make a decision right now,” he added gently. “The offer won’t go away, and neither will I.”
Or trust the man who was showing me pieces of myself I’d forgotten existed?
I lifted my gaze to find him patiently waiting, for what, I wasn’t sure.
“It’s late, I’ll drive you back to your car and follow you home to make sure you get there safely.”
I nodded, but part of me didn’t want to leave him either.
“Are you trying to get rid of me for another woman?” I asked once we were in motion, turning to hide my smile.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
“You wanna come home with me, my forever?”
I kissed my teeth, and he laughed.
“That’s what I thought, baby. But keep in mind, my home is always available to you, just as I am.”
Every time he opened his mouth, it penetrated a part of me. I struggled to remember, but he still felt familiar and safe.
“I can tell you’re hurting because of me,” I murmured, watching the buildings as we passed them. “And I feel…weirdabout it. About hurting you, so that has to mean something.”
He made me hopeful for the future, and that said a lot about him as a person.
“And,” I went on. “Since you put a hit out on yourself just for my attention, I want you to know your presence makes everything hurt less. So, thank you for wanting me to kill you.”
He took an audible breath that sounded a lot like a sigh of relief.
“I needed to hear that.”
Something inside of me had known, making the urge to put him at ease hard to ignore.
We rode the rest of the way to the bar in silence. My car and one other I recognized were the only ones left in the parking lot.
I eyed it for a second, and he began to speak as if he could hear the question forming in my mind.
“Millicent is a means to an end,” he said, eyes meeting mine. “The hit on Jeremiah came from her and was funded by Jayden. Violet being cleared to stay in Everwood for up to six months is because of her, too.”
He was explaining to either bring me comfort or make me feel part of his plans. But I didn’t feel comfort knowing they were in close quarters often.
“I think I’m jealous.”
