Page 43 of Saving Her Heart
He cups my face in his hands, forcing me to meet his eyes. "I lost you once because I wasn't here. I'm not losing you again."
The intensity in his voice, in his eyes, breaks something inside me. The tears I've been holding back all day finally fall.
"I'm scared," I admit.
"I know." He pulls me against him, and I bury my face in his chest. "But I've got you. We're going to catch whoever's doing this."
"What if they really do set a fire? What if people get hurt because of me?"
"Hey." He tilts my chin up. "This isn't your fault. None of it."
"If I just quit?—"
"Then what happens? They’ll move on to terrorize someone else." His thumb brushes away a tear. "You don't run, Kendall. It's not who you are."
"Maybe who I am is the problem."
"Who you are is incredible. Strong. Caring. Protective of everyone in your buildings." He presses his forehead to mine. "Who you are is exactly who you should be."
We stand there, holding each other in his kitchen, while somewhere out there, someone is watching and planning their next move.
"We should get some sleep," he says eventually. "Tomorrow's going to be rough."
I follow him to the bedroom, watching as he grabs a pillow and blanket for the couch.
"Jax?"
He pauses in the doorway.
"Stay."
"Kendall—"
"Not... not like that. Just... stay. I don't want to be alone. And you said you wanted to keep me in your sight."
He looks at me for a long moment, then nods. We climb onto opposite sides of the bed, careful not to touch, the space between us feeling like miles and inches simultaneously.
"Thank you," I whisper in the dark. "For everything today. The goat. The protection. All of it."
"Always," he whispers back.
I lie there, listening to his breathing, feeling the warmth of him just inches away. Outside, someone's watching, planning, threatening. But in here, in the dark, with Jax beside me, I feel something I haven't felt in days.
Safe.
Tomorrow, we'll deal with Brad and Valerie and whoever else is involved. Tomorrow, we'll figure out what this thing between us means. Tomorrow, we'll face whatever comes next.
But tonight, for the first time in years, I fall asleep to the sound of Jax breathing beside me.
And despite everything—the threats, the fear, the uncertainty—it feels like coming home.
Chapter 10
Jax
The clock on my nightstand glows 3:17 AM when I give up pretending to sleep. Kendall's breathing changed about twenty minutes ago—she's awake too, lying perfectly still on her side of the bed like she's afraid moving will shatter something.
"Can't sleep either?" I ask the darkness.
