Grinning, I say, “Let’s begin…”39FallonSince the moment he walked out that door, I’ve been sitting on the couch staring at it. I’m afraid he won’t come back, afraid I gave up the chance to tell him I want more, need more. The minutes tick away, but the ache in my chest never eases.
“He’s coming back,” Amelie says, walking into the living room.
“I know he is.” I try not to sound as desperate as I look and feel.
“Then why are you staring at the door like he isn’t?” She lifts the cup of tea she just made to her lips. Amelie knows some about Markus but not everything, and even though she was held captive by Timothy and his men, she doesn’t know just how bad this could go.
Markus isn’t invincible. He is human. A bullet will kill him just the same.
“I’m not,” I lie. I already know that she thinks Markus and I are dating, even though I’ve told her many times it’s not like that. The last six months have been a whirlwind, and when he got the phone call this morning, I almost sagged to the floor.
“Whatever, you can lie to yourself but not me.” She walks away, shaking her head and leaving me alone with my thoughts. So much still hangs in the air between us. I haven’t told her I’m adopted yet, and she hasn’t told me what happened to her while in confinement. I do know that someone had to be protecting her or caring for her. Otherwise, she would’ve been dead.
I stare down at the paperback on the coffee table. I’ve tried reading the thing three times, and I just can’t focus.
Markus didn’t tell me where exactly he was going, and I have no way to contact him. I just hope he didn’t go face Timothy alone. Running my fingers through my hair, I tilt my head back and rest it against the couch. I stare at the ceiling, wondering how I’ll move on from him if he doesn’t return to me.
The sound of the lock disengaging has me bounding from the couch, and by the time the door opens, I’m standing in front of it. Markus appears in front of me, and I can’t stop myself. I lunge for him, wrapping my arms around his middle while burying my face into his chest. He smells of sweat and gunpowder.
“Well, hello to you too.”
“You’re back.” I sigh and pull back a bit, so he can come inside.
“Did you honestly think I would lose in a gunfight?” He raises a thick brow.
I shake my head. “No, but things happen.” I do my best not to frown or show how sad this moment makes me. He is back, and after tonight, nothing will ever be the same for us. This is where we go our separate ways, where we stop pretending and move on.
Can I end it, or do I try…
“They do, but today they didn’t.”
I nod and untangle myself, walking backward toward the couch. “Is he… dead?”
“Yes. It’s over. You and your sister are safe now. No one will ever try to hurt you again.” Knowing his next set of words, my chest tightens, and I swallow around a grapefruit-size knot in my throat. “You can go back home, back to your life… if that’s what you want.”
I look from the floor and into his steely gaze. Is that what I want? Of course not. My home is here. My life is with him. There is nothing for me out in the world anymore.
“What would you say if I told you I didn’t want to leave… that you’re my home now, and that the last six months have been incredible. I’ve seen a side of you I never expected to see and…” I want to say the words, but they stick to the roof of my mouth. I’m so scared of his rejection, but I force myself to say them anyway, “I love you.”
Markus crosses the space separating us in a flash. His mammoth hands reach for me, and he cups me by the cheeks, pulling me closer to him and into his face. I have to crane my neck back to see his whole face, but it’s worth it. Even in the aftermath of bloodshed, he is gorgeous beyond measure.
“These last three months have shown me how wrong I was. I dreaded this day and prayed that my brother would never call, and not because I didn’t want Timothy to die. Because I knew the day he called was the day everything between us would end. I would have to let you go, even if it’s the last thing I want to do. I love you, Fallon. I never thought it was possible that I could love again after losing Victoria, but you opened my eyes. I want you here with me. Want you to stay and be mine, and I yours.”