Page 92 of Bound by Love
He furrowed his brow. “I…” he faltered. “It’s not pretty, Brie.”
“Please.”
He looked at her for several moments before slowly untying the leather straps of his eyepatch. It slowly fell from his eye, exposing a partially closed eyelid and the tender red flesh of the back of the eye socket.
“Does it hurt?”
“No,” he answered casually. “I’ve grown used to it. I considered getting a replacement at one point, but…the eyepatch does the job, so I haven’t seen a need.”
She noticed that he held his breath while she lightly traced her finger around the lid of his missing eye. “This is a testament of your bravery, Todd Wallace.” Brie met his gaze and smiled. “And I agree that you don’t need a replacement.”
Sitting back, she looked at him critically.
“What are you doing?” he asked with a crooked grin.
“Just taking in all of who you are now. I’m truly humbled.”
He laughed uncomfortably. “There’s no need to feel that way.”
“But there is, and you need to hear me when I say it. I am grateful and honored to call you my friend.”
“As am I,” Sir said, clapping Faelan on the back. “Never feel the eyepatch is necessary around us.”
Faelan actually blushed. “To be honest, I prefer wearing it. I like knowing the eye socket is protected, but thanks. It means more than you know.”
He then looked at Brie. “You have my undying gratitude as well. Even though you didn’t know it at the time, you saved my life when you tripped just outside the school that night.”
“But that was not an act of bravery. It was just sheer clumsiness.”
“Doesn’t matter. That encounter changed the course of my life. I was running on autopilot before I met you—my life consisted of just misery and guilt.”
Brie’s heart swelled with admiration for him. “I’m glad we came into each other’s lives.”
“I am too, blossom,” he said, smiling at her tenderly. “I am, too.”
Lea swung by the same day, desperate to see her.
The two did not even speak for the first ten minutes after she arrived, hugging each other tightly, grateful to be together again.
“Oh, Brie…” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Lea…” That was the only word she could get out before her throat closed up again.
Sir nodded to Lea. “Ms. Taylor, are you okay?”
She shrugged, looking crushed.
Sir walked over and took her into his arms. Lea let out a strangled gasp as she accepted his embrace.
Brie felt so sorry for Lea. Not only had her life been in danger, but the man she had fallen in love with and had just agreed to marry did not even exist. What a terribly cruel thing for her to bear.
After Sir released Lea, he retrieved a tissue for her and then excused himself. “I’ll take care of Hope while you two talk. If you need anything, just say the word.”
Lea gravitated to the kitchen table, so Brie started hot water for tea, not really knowing what to say or do.
It broke her heart when the first words out of Lea’s mouth were, “I’m sorry.”
Brie turned around and shook her head. “Don’t. None of it is your fault.”
