Page 100 of Bad Moon Rising
“Sounds a lot better to say you’re a warrior for God, though.” Nova managed a small smile.
“Wow,” Evie whispered. “My son’s a warrior for God.”
“We’re supposed to work together. As in you with me, and my brothers, and all of us ridding the world of inhuman terrorists. I think we’re supposed to hold each other together.” He wiped away a few of her tears. “Please don’t cry.”
But it didn’t work. More tears fell, and the consuming pressure in her chest built more, pressuring her lungs to the point she felt lightheaded. “I’m sorry. They won’t stop.”
Reaching out, she pressed her hand to his cheek. “I love you, Roman. I’m hopelessly in love with you and nothing is going to change that.”
Flynn groaned and rolled his eyes. He waved at them. “Just go get a room. Make the sap fest stop.”
Evie kicked him under the table. “I like it.”
“Oww.” Flynn massaged his leg.
Roman shot him a dirty glare.
Flynn said, “She’s a fellow warrior for God. I get that. Why can’t God undo this curse if you’re so important?”
“I think us figuring it out is a part of the plan.” He took Nova’s hand. “You’re a part of our family now.”
Evie burst into laughter. “Don’t be so dense, love. She was a part of it the moment you brought her on the boat.”
…
Nova entered a bedroom with…what was he? Her partner? Her soulmate? He was her everything.
Nova looked Roman in the eyes—his beautiful, dangerous, haunted eyes—and saw misery and devotion. She forced her brain to slow down and figure out what was going on. She was supposed to be here. Then, why this new misery?
With a deep breath, she let the internal voice speak to her. He spent his time battling and absorbing evil to save everyone. He kept his brothers together. He was trapped in a curse by those who couldn’t learn she survived. Beyond all that, he worried about losing her and them before they even had anything together. That was a hell of a lot of anxiety to take on.
“You don’t need to take everything on at once tonight, Roman.” She smiled softly. “Let’s simply be here in the same place, neither of us with a kill order over our heads. There’s a lot outside the door to weigh you down. Leave it outside. How about we always leave it outside the door whenever it’s the two of us?”
“You lost your life and everything to end up here. How can you know here is the right place for you?”
“I may not remember what I was, but I know who I am, and what I want. By forgetting, I gained my freedom and found something I’m sure I would’ve never found otherwise.” She put a hand to his cheek. “You. A family who’s okay with what I am and who I am. I am okay not remembering…never remembering. I’ll live life starting now.”
Roman blinked.
“I know you’re scared,” she said. “You can’t control the world and keep everything perfect for me. I can’t do it for you. But I can hold my own. I’m not scared of the evil bits. I don’t want you to withhold parts of yourself from me because you think it’ll keep me safe, or I won’t like what’s inside you. I want all of you. Every single bit of you. I need a partner who isn’t afraid to love me with everything in him and give me all of him.”
Roman opened his mouth and closed it. He rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m not going to tell you you’re right.”
“But I am. You’re going to have to get used to that.”
His eyes softened as he chuckled. He leaned in to kiss her. Gentle. Tender. “You resurrect dreams I gave up. This feels like a bubble that’ll pop, and I’ll lose everything…you.”
“I’m here. For however long we have, I want to love you. I want you to let me love you.” She put her hand on his chest. “It’ll ease the pain in here if you tell yourself it’s okay to be happy.”
“Tell me this is real, Nova.”
“It’s real. I’m yours. Now, tell me you have chocolate syrup around here so we can enact that fantasy of licking it off you.”
“Jesus Christ, I’m lucky.” His lips crashed down on hers.
Pure joy was the only way to describe what slid through her. Even though there was so much ahead to maneuver through, if they did it together, they’d be stronger. They were each other’s everything. And nothing was going to change that.
Epilogue
