“Because you love me.”
“More than anything, I think.”
He laughed quietly, and I thought it the most wonderful sound I’d ever heard. I wondered when last he’d done that, been carefree and happy.
“If you two are done being disgusting, I need Sam.”
Ryan sighed but pulled away.
Justin stood on the other side of the table, looking uncomfortable. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“I know. I’ll deal with them later.” I shot a glare at Tiggy and Gary, but they just waved cheekily back at me. Their deaths would be slow and painful. After I hugged them.
“I need you now.”
“Justin, please. Not in front of Ryan. You know how jealous he gets.”
Justin rolled his eyes. “I need you to speak to them. To our people. They need to hear from you. They need to know that you forgive them.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Speak or forgive?”
I shrugged, because it seemed to be the same.
“Then you don’t. And they lose hope. They won’t know what we do, that you’ll fight for them until your last breath. That you will do everything in your power to take away the shadows and bring them back into the light.”
I squinted at him. “And how do you know I’ll do that?”
He snorted. “I know you, Sam. Very well.”
“Not carnally. That’s only for my babe.”
“Thank the gods for small favors.”
“I don’t—”
“I’ll say it.”
“Say what?”
He looked as if he were about to take the hardest shit. It was not a flattering look. “You know. The thing.”
“What thing?”
If it were possible, the holy-shit-this-shit-hurts look deepened. “You know. The thing.”
I gasped. “You will?”
He nodded like it pained him.
“In front of everyone,” I decided. “In fact, you should stand on stage and say it, and then I’ll believe you.”
“What are they talking about?” Terry asked Ryan.
“Honestly, I don’t even ask questions about it anymore. It’s easier that way instead of knowing my ex-boyfriend and current boyfriend have a thing together.” He frowned before turning to me. “I don’t like the sound of my own sentence.”
I patted his arm, because he was special to me.