Page 123 of So Much More
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I knock and then open Shannon’s unlocked front door without waiting for him to answer it. When my gaze lands on him, I say, “Oh, my goodness, Emily is so …” I halt, and I feel all the blood drain from my head as I spy my boyfriend slowly standing from the couch with a look of heartbreaking grief on his face.
I cast a frantic look at Shannon, who nods toward Randall and heads down the hall, and then I hurtle across the room and launch myself into Randall’s arms.
“What happened, baby?” I ask. “Why are you here?”
“My dad …” His voice breaks along with my heart.
“What about your dad?” I tilt my head up to look at his face. “What did he do?”
“There was a car accident. He … he didn’t make it.” Tears begin to stream down his face.
“Oh, Randall,” I breathe out. “Here, sit down.” I guide him back down onto the couch, grab some tissues from the end table, climb onto his lap, and hold him tightly.
“I don’t know why I’m crying.” He sniffles and swipes a tissue across his face. “I didn’t cry before.”
“You’re crying because your dad died, honey, that’s why. And I think you probably didn’t cry earlier because you were in shock and you needed to be strong for your family. But now it’s just you and me, and you can cry all you want, because I can be the strong one now.”
“But I shouldn’t cry for him. He was a terrible person.”
“I know, but that doesn’t make this any less traumatizing.”
He takes a halting breath. “I identified his body. It was awful.”
My heart hurts for him so badly I can’t stand it. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
“I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t let anyone else do it.”
I squeeze him more tightly. “I know. And I love you for that.”
He leans his head against mine. “I loveyou.”
I slide one arm out from around him and press it against his heart. “I’m glad you came to me.”
“I needed you, and I knew if I called to tell you what happened, you’d come straight home, but I didn’t want you to miss out on meeting Emily.”
I love this selfless man more than I could have ever imagined. “You’re right. I would have gone to you. Do we need to head back home tonight?”
“No. I’m going back first thing in the morning. There are more seats left on that flight if you want to change your flight to go with me.”
“Of course I do. I’m not going to leave your side for the next few days. I’ll call and do that in a little bit.”
“I got a hotel room for tonight.” He pauses. “Will you stay there with me?”
My heart rate increases with the knowledge of what that will mean for us. “Yes.”
“We don’t have to—”
I put my hand over his mouth. “I want to.”
He removes my hand. “We’ll see.”
“We’ll do more than see, mister.” I poke his chest. “We’re taking advantage of that hotel room.”
He chuckles, and my heart soars at the sound.
“If you insist,” he says.
