Oh, that would fucking suck.
“Especiallywhen I’m asleep.”
“You’re crazy.”
Maybe.
Cupping her cheek so she’d look at me. “I love you.”
She melted into my palm. “I loveyou, Christian.”
Adelaide brushed a finger against my jaw before straightening herself—the mood sobering too fucking quickly. “Do you think your plan will work?”
Taking her hands in mine, I squeezed. “Are you worried it won’t?”
“No, it’s just…I don’t know. I have this gut feeling that something's wrong.”
“Do you trust me?”
Without hesitation, “I do.”
“Then trust that it’ll work out.” Bringing her hands up to my lips, I kiss them one at a time. “They won’t lay a hand on you. I’ll be outside, waiting to take you back home where we’ll spend the rest of the night cuddled in bed. I promise you—whereverI am—you’ll always be safe.”
She nodded in slow understanding. “It should be easy enough, right?”
Tell her. Tell her now.
Her phone buzzed.
Adelaide looked down.Umaimaflashed over her screen, but she turned it off.
“If we’re going to be together for real,” she stared. “Can you promise me one more thing?”
“I promise.”
Her lips broke into a smile. “You haven’t even heard what I was going to say.”
It didn’t matter. I’d promise her the world, destruction, love, forever—whatever the fuck she wanted, I’d give it.
“I still promise.”
“Justpromisethat you’ll always be honest with me. About everything.”Isn’t that great? Honesty, Christian. You’re totally a professional at telling the truth, right?
Adelaide chewed on her bottom lip. Her hesitation evoked my own because I wasn’t sure how to tell her. I knew she’d understand but I didn’t know if she’d accept it. The truth about Eda would hurt, but the truth about what happened to her parents because of her aunt woulddestroyher. Honesty was important in a relationship, but there was a concept of being too fucking honest that could ruin what we built together. Our relationship was cracked, and we were cementing the spaces in between little by little.
This truth could ruin us.
But she has to know.
“I’ve spent a long time hiding in the shadows and behind everyone’s lies, I can’t anymore. I’m done being lied to, I’m tired of everyone keeping secrets from me. Eda not preparing me enough or telling me how ruthless her world had messed me up. I need full honesty for this relationship to work.”
Now’s the time to tell her.“I have something to tell you, Adelaide.”
She blinked stupidly at my abruptness. “I’m listening.”
That’s when my phone rang. “Excuse me,” I stood and answered the call. On the other end of the line, my assistant reminded me about my schedule tomorrow.
When I hung up, I ran a hand through my hair. Tugging at the ends. This was fucking annoying. The one time I hadto finally speak to Adelaide, and I was interrupted. Maybe the universe didn’t want me to fuck this up with her.
