Her fingers clasped around my wrist, but she didn’t pull my hand away. Actually, she laid my palm over her chest, feeling her stuttering heartbeat. Her skin felt like velvet against my callous fingers, but I kept my touch tender.
“Do you know what hurts the most, Maddox?” She spoke quietly, her voice barely audible.
“Tell me,” I rasped. Tell me everything, Lila. Tell me every bit of your pain and let me carry it for you.
She let out a small humorless laugh. The pain in her voice was so heavy, my chest tightened in response. “It’s the fact that I will never be able to find justice. For myself. For my parents. I’ve long accepted that fact, but it still pains me.”
My head lowered to her breasts, and my lips skimmed over the harsh, white and pink lines. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
Lila dragged her nails through my scalp. “Don’t be silly.”
“No, I should have found you sooner.” I kissed down the length of her scars, brushing over every inch of raised and marked flesh. “If I knew you were out there, I would have come looking for you.”
Lila let out a small cry and pulled my head up. Her lips found mine, and I tasted her salty tears through our kiss. Don’t cry, little dragon. Don’t cry.
Her tears were my undoing.
Her pain decimated me.
My heart withered, as she cried softly against my lips. She kissed me like I was the oxygen she needed to live, like I was the very air she breathed.
Our kiss, filled with torment and desperation, burned through my soul and branded me from the inside.
Hours later, I stayed awake, watching Lila sleep. My thumb caressed her bare hips, feeling her soft skin. I couldn’t stop touching her, couldn’t bring myself to pull away and disconnect our bodies.
My lips feathered across her cheek. “I know you don’t need a knight,” I said, listening to her slow, even breathing as she slept. “But I want to be your knight. There’s a need inside me. A fierce need to protect you. To keep you safe. An intense need that seems to push me to be a better man. It’s my driving force. You are not the damsel in distress, but I still want to be your knight, Lila.”
I wanted to protect her… but by protecting her…
My Lila knew me too well. She could tell something was wrong, but I couldn’t tell her.
Not now, not yet. Maybe not ever.
Some truths were better left unsaid; some lies were better told to protect, and some secrets were better meant to stay secrets.
I needed more time with her, to love her longer, before everything would fall apart…
Because if she ever found out the truth, Lila was going to hate me.
There was a sudden rapping on the door. I glanced up from my textbook, surprised at the interruption. Maddox was in class, and Riley had a test. I got off the couch and walked to the door, peeping through the tiny hole.
Savannah. Oh shit! Maddox’s mom. What was she doing here? My heart felt like it was practically going to burst through my chest, as I patted my untamed hair down and opened the door. I was in no way presentable to accept guests, but I also couldn’t keep his mom waiting at the door.
Savannah gave me a timid smile, and, as usual, she was dressed prim and proper, in an expensive suit and heels. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and she kept her makeup minimal. She looked absolutely gorgeous and ready to walk a runaway.
While I looked like a stressed-out college kid who hadn’t showered and was wearing the same clothes for two days. I winced, expecting her judgmental stare, but she didn’t give me one.
“Um, hi?” I said, pressing my shaky hands against my thighs. When I realized she was still at the door, and I hadn’t invited her in yet, my eyes widened, and I flushed in embarrassment. Stepping away from the door, I motioned her inside. “Come in.”
I closed the door behind her and noticed her looking around the apartment. “Maddox is not here right now.”
Her blue eyes twinkled, the same eyes as Maddox. Maddox was a carbon copy of his father, but he got his eyes from his mother. “I’m here to see you,” she said.
My breathing halted, and I felt a sense of panic well up inside me. “Me?” What could she ever want with me?
“Can I sit?” Savannah asked, giving me a small smile.
“Um, yeah. Sure.” I motioned toward the couch. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Water is fine.” I came back with a glass of water, and she mumbled a quick thank you, when I handed in to her. Savannah appeared a bit nervous, fidgeting with her dress, as she took a seat.