Page 131 of A Smile Full of Lies
“You think I don’t know what you were doing?” I said, my voice cracking as I ran a hand over my face. “You just told me, a few minutes ago, you went to Thayer because you were afraidof whatI’ddo. Because you thought I’d go after him, get myself arrested — or worse — and you’d lose me.”
She swallowed, slow and careful. Her hand trembled as it reached for mine.
“You’re right,” she rasped. “I was scared. Not of you.Foryou.”
I shook my head, blinking back another rush of tears I didn’t have the strength to hide anymore.
“You risked your fucking life to protect me,” I said, voice trembling now, unsteady and cracked wide open. “Do you have any idea what that means?”
Her brows knit faintly and she frowned, shaking her head.
“It means you matter more to me than my fucking life, Ros,” I said, leaning closer, my forehead almost touching hers. “I’ve spent four goddamn years trying to hold my shit together, trying to survive with this pit in my chest where my family used to be. And then you — you, with your big goddamn heart — waltzed in and made it feel like maybe I wasn’t broken beyond repair.”
She choked on a laugh. Or maybe a sob.
“Don’t make me laugh,” she whispered, lips twitching. “It hurts so fucking much.”
My throat burned.
I kissed her forehead, soft and shaking.
“You didn’t just solve the case. You gave me my future back.”
Her lashes fluttered.
I whispered it right against her skin.
“And I have never,never, loved someone more in my entire fucking life.”
She gasped, then winced, pressing a hand against the slash wound on her abdomen.
“You love me?”
I nodded.
“I need you to hear me.”
My voice shook, but I didn’t care. I was past pride. Past self-preservation. I leaned in closer, my hand cradling her jaw, my thumb stroking the line of her cheekbone where a tear had left a track.
“Ros, I’ve done some fucked up things in my life. I’ve lied. I’ve manipulated. I’ve been cold, calculated, and I haveneveronce regretted a single move — until the second I saw you unconscious in this hospital because I wasn’t there to protect you when you needed me most.”
Her eyes shimmered. Her hand curled weakly around my wrist.
“Ishouldbe furious,” I said, my voice low and gutted. “Iamfurious. You went behind my back. You made a choice that almost cost you your life. And all because you didn’t trust me not to burn everything down.”
Her breath hitched and she bit her lip, dropping her gaze to her lap.
“But here’s the thing, baby.” I leaned in until my lips brushed her temple. “You were a hundred percent right.”
Her whole body stilled.
“What?”
“If you’d told me it was Thayer, I’d have killed him in cold blood.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “And I wouldn’t have fucking hesitated.”
She let out a shaky sob.
“Knox—”
