Sacrifice (Heart of a Wounded Hero)

My heart drops into my stomach. I know that he would only say that if he really needed me. Something must be terribly wrong. I freak out and run down the stairs and across the driveway, ignoring the little pebbles that dig into my bare feet.

I sprint up the front porch and run into the house, hollering for him. As soon as I get in the door, it shuts behind me, and I turn and look at him up and down, looking for any injury or anything, but he's just staring at me.

Max darts across the room as if all the chaos has him spooked. With my hand to my chest, I try to catch my breath. "Are you okay?"

He nods. "I am now."

I look at him, thinking that I'm missing something. "What's wrong?"

He reaches for me, and I jerk back. No way I can stand here and let him touch me. If he did, I would be dropping to my knees and begging him to take me back. I'm weak when it comes to him, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

He holds both hands up and then gestures to the couch. "Will you sit down for just a minute? I have something to talk to you about."

Even now, after the way he broke my heart, I still can't deny him. I walk over to the couch and sit on the edge, waiting for whatever bombshell he's about to drop on me.

He looks at me worriedly. "I fucked up, Ella. I miss you. Everything is awful since you went away."

I shake my head, not understanding. "You told me to leave. You sent me away."

He grimaces and puts a hand over his heart and rubs it there. "I know, and it was the worst mistake I've ever made in my whole entire life."

I lift my head and look around the room, wondering if there's any remnants of Harper being here. I haven’t let myself look out the window, not wanting to see her pulling in and out of the driveway. "What happened? Did Harper leave you again? You need me to be another substitute?"

He gets off the chair, goes down on both of his knees, and crawls toward me. "No, it's not like that. You were never a substitute. I turned her away that day. She wanted to get back together, and I told her no."

I shake my head, not understanding. "I don't understand. I thought..."

He reaches for me and puts his hand on my knee. "I thought you were out with Bryce. I thought you went from my bed to a date with him. Harper said that you went out with him and then when you came home, I saw you in the car hugging him. It killed me, Ella."

I shake my head. "I wasn't on a date." But before I can finish, he nods, grabbing both of my hands and pulling me toward him. "I know that now. I should have talked to you. I should have fought for you. It went all through me. I know that's not an excuse, but just thinking of you with someone else kills me, Ella."

I take a deep breath, and my mind starts to wonder... My heart tells me to forgive him and take him back, but my head is on a different level...

I look at him sadly. "Maybe you and I are just not meant to be, Logan. Look at us. We're too different."

He looks at me fiercely. "Don't say that."

"It's true. Look at everything that you've been through in the last month. Have you wondered if you're with me just because I'm here? Because you know how I feel about you?"

He gets up from the floor and sits next to me. He puts one arm around my shoulder and pulls me against him, tucking my head against his chest. "I had this conversation with my therapist. She asked me a thousand questions about how I felt and why I thought I felt it. She was pushing me to come to an answer, and it wasn't hard. If you want to know how I feel about you, Ella, then all you have to do is ask me. Ask me, because I want to tell you."

My hands are shaking in my lap. He must notice because he reaches over and wraps his hand around both of mine. I lift my head and rest my chin on his chest. It’s scary, putting myself out there, but I know I have to. "How do you feel about me?"

"I love you." I open my mouth to interrupt, but he shakes his head. "I love everything about you. I love holding you. I love being with you. Hanging out with you. I love the way you make me feel and the way that you make me want to be a better man. I’m in love with you, Ella."