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“He–he hurt you.” It’s not a question but more of a statement. I know this is killing them, but I won’t shy away from it, from telling them what happened to me.
“He did.”
Ronan’s hand falls from my face as he moves it down my arm, letting it rest on my hip, where he continues rubbing his thumb in small circles. “He touched you.”
I nod again, and more tears pool in his eyes, and when he blinks, another falls. He hasn’t even tried to stop them, and knowing he’s willing to show me this broken side of him mends a little piece of my heart. I brush his wayward onyx hair from his forehead. “Ronan, Baby.”
“Did he–did he touch all of you?” His chin trembles at the question.
“No,” I whisper. “Remember what you said? I belong to you. I am yours. I am yours and Mac’s and Finn’s. I am yours, and you are mine. No one else gets to have me.”
A desperate sob leaves Ronan’s mouth before he buries his head in my chest. The vulnerability is such a stark contrast from the man who fought me tooth and nail when I first got here. From the moment I met him, I saw that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s felt the responsibility to care for everyone and everything, trying to be the leader everyone expects him to be, unable and unwilling to lean on anyone. But that’s not the man who’s wrapped in my arms. The man in my arms is someone who felt like the world fell out from under his feet. Like he would never be able to fix a problem that would destroy him and his brothers. The man in my arms is one who is at his breaking point, unable to hold in his heartache for another moment.
And yes, I was the one who went through a terrible ordeal, but so did they. They lost me just as I lost them. I have all three of them to lean on, to be vulnerable with, and to pick me up when I fall apart. So I need to do that for them. Which is why I’ll lay here and hold him for as long as he needs. I’ll be the one to pick up the pieces of his heart.
“I’m so sorry, Baby. I will never let anyone hurt you again. Please forgive me,” Ronan says as he continues to cry into my chest.
I hold him tighter. “It’s not your fault, Ronan. There’s nothing to forgive.”
He lifts his head as his cries begin to slow, and his blue eyes meet mine. “I love you, Harper.”
I can’t help it—my breathing stalls.
“I think I’ve loved you since the night I walked into your bookstore. That’s why I fought this thing between us so hard. I knew that if I let myself feel what I feel for you and it was taken away from me, it would break me—and it did. I know how it feels to love you and not get the chance to tell you. I will never let that happen again. I love you, Harper Hayes.”
I won’t waste another second. “I love you too, Ronan.”
He chuckles, and I swear the sound of his laugh heals another little piece. “I know.”
I playfully slap him on his bare chest, loving the way his bare skin feels under my hand. “What do you mean you know?” I give him a suspicious grin.
A soft smile plays at his lips. “I heard you that night, Baby. You said it in your sleep.”
“Shit.” I laugh. “I forgot about that. Can we pretend this was the first time I told you?”
“Nope. Not happening. You said it first, and I’ll never let you live it down.”
I laugh louder this time before placing a featherlight kiss on his lips. “That’s fine because I love you. I love you so much, Ronan McDermott.”
He softly kisses me. “You’ve probably made smarter decisions in your life.”
“Probably.”
17
Ronan
My phone vibrating against the chaise behind me wakes me from my sleep. Harper and I must have dozed off for a while. I’m not complaining; I needed the rest, and I know she did too. She’ll be lucky if we let her leave this bed at all over the next couple of days.
The buzzing causes her to stir, and I quickly but smoothly slide out of bed to grab it, not wanting to wake her. I pick it up and see Luca’s name on the screen, but before I answer it, I take a moment to stare at Harper’s sleeping form. Her chocolate curls spread out against the white pillowcase, her soft pink lips parted slightly, and the color is starting to come back to her stunning face. I know that’s all I did last night, sit here and stare at her, but it all feels different now. Lighter somehow. Regardless of what lies ahead, knowing that she loves me and I love her makes everything else feel insignificant.
I slip out of her room to answer the phone call in the hallway. “Hey, man.”
“Hey. Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to check in to see how she was doing. How you all were doing.”
I take a moment to pause, thankful for Luca and his guys. I’m not sure we would have found Harper if it hadn’t been for them. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to lean on anyone besides Mac and Finn like I have with their team the last few weeks. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.
“She’s doing good. She’s still getting some rest. She’s taking all this better than I ever could have imagined.”
