I inhale sharply, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re not going out there.”
He nods. “Then come here,” he says, pulling me into him. I don’t resist. I can’t. I just let him pull me toward him, and I cry my heart out, drenching his t-shirt with my tears.
I hate sitting here and hearing their endless fights. I hate that he hurts her. I hate that I can’t do anything about it.
My teeth graze against my lip where I still feel the scar from my attempt to stop him. I was too small, too weak. I couldn’t do anything.
And I hated that feeling.
Chris’s hands cup my face, his touch calming me. He’s the only one who truly understands, who knows every part of me.
“It’s going to be ok,” he lies. “Come here. I have a new song for you. Reminded me of you as soon as I heard it.”
I sniffle, meeting his eyes as he slips my headphones over my ears. The music starts up, and the melody wraps around me, drowning out the world’s noise. All I can focus on is the song in my ears and the sight of my favorite person in the world.
A soft smile tugs at his lips as he guides me back to bed. I nestle my head against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat. He starts rubbing my back the way he knows will always calm me down. He pulls the duvet over us and I settle against him, closing my eyes, feeling his heartbeat underneath me until I fall asleep.
Chapter 4
Am I dreaming?
As the cab pulls over, my heart races uncontrollably. I haven’t seen her in four years. Not since that night. I still remember every painstaking detail of it. And yet, here I am, without a plan, without a clue as to how this will go. All I know is that I’m desperate to see her.
The sun hits my eyes when I open the door and step out of the cab.
“Need any help with your bags?” the driver asks, his voice gruff as he glances at me through the rearview mirror.
“Nah, I’m good,” I reply, squinting against the glare before reaching for my suitcase.
The driver gives a curt nod, and as I shut the door, he takes off, disappearing into the traffic. I tighten my grip on the handle of my suitcase, scanning the unfamiliar surroundings.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone, the screen lighting up as I bring up her location. We’ve always shared our locations with each other, even when we were living thousands of miles apart. It was our way of staying connected, of feeling close despite the distance.
I glance at the map, confirming she’s close by, and my lips twitch into a half-smile as my heart beats faster. After all this time, I’m finally going to see her. My thumb hovers over her contact, then finally lands, pressing the call button.
Here goes nothing.
“Hello?”
Her wary tone makes me smirk, as I try to find her in the crowd. “You sound scared.”
“You never call me at this time,” she replies, suspicion lacing her voice. “What time is it over there?”
She’s right, but what she doesn’t know is that I’m not in London. I grin as I reply, “Twelve-thirty.”
“What?” Her voice rises in disbelief. “That’s not possible. It’s twelve-thirty here.”
I chuckle. “I know.”
My eyes sweep through the crowd, and then…
There she is.
My heart lurches in my chest at the sight of her. I suck in a breath, feeling a rush of emotions as I take her in. It’s surreal to see her in the flesh again, and for a moment, I forget to breathe.
Fuck.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
