I brushed little baby hairs off her forehead. “I have no idea.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about West?” I pulled away, but she tugged me back by the arms around my neck. “Grayson, please let me in.”
“I couldn’t accept the fucking reality, little nun. Still can’t.” I pushed her into the mattress, breathing her in, her marshmallow scent and her warmth. “You had to lock me to the fucking bed.”
She sighed. “If I sleep in his bed, I’ll have access to his phone and I can try. I can at least try password combinations—”
I cut her off. “If you want me to be the kind of man that sends his wife into another man’s bed, I can’t. I’ll never be him. I don’t care if it saves the world.”
Her lips parted. Wet. “How are we going to do this?”
I exhaled. “I don’t know.”
I’d been working it over in my head. Over and over.
We had no other options.
I know it was the only way, but I don’t know how.
My head fell between her shoulder and her neck, defeated.
Her hands slipped from my neck and she gripped my face, pulling me back up so I could see her eyes. She kissed me softly, slowly, biting my bottom lip.
Melting me.
I groaned, biting her lips. “What are you doing, Snitch?”
“I don’t think you’re going to be okay,” she breathed. “I know I’m not. So let’s stop trying to find that magical reason that somehow makes us okay with this. It doesn’t exist. We just have to survive it.”
I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “If we do this, you don’t choose him. You don’t sleep in his fucking bed. Promise me?”
“I promise.” She pulled back, rolling her lips. “Promise me you won’t keep anything else from me?”
I didn’t want to lie, but I don’t know how to tell her. I didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t trying to lie or keep secrets, I just…didn’t know how to say it aloud. I don’t know how to tell her the truth—that even with five coins, my safety wasn’t guaranteed.
I’d fight tooth and nail for our happily ever after, but my plan B would always be keeping her safe.
So if it looked like we weren’t going to find that fifth coin, then I’d use four.
To save them.
“I can’t lose you.” The words were ragged and ripped from me. Just the idea of losing her tore my insides to shreds.
She pressed her forehead to mine. “You won’t lose me.”
“You can’t guarantee that, Snitch.”
“I promi
se.” The grit with which she said it almost made me smile.
Story was so strong, so sure of herself.
I thumbed her bottom lip, wanting to kiss her and punish her all at once. Kiss her for her strength, punish her for how much it would get her into trouble.
Her lids drooped at my touch. “I’ll come back,” she said, husky. “I’ll always come back.”
I bruised my forehead into hers. “Maybe you shouldn’t.”