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Now, we’re waiting for two agents from the FBI. It was time to put our game faces back on. I left my face makeup free, ensuring all my injuries stood out against my pale skin. I dressed in a pair of yoga pants and Valen’s red sweatshirt. Comfortable clothes—clothes that don’t show too much—clothes that helped make me look small and fragile.
“That was the sweatshirt I wore the day you saw someone watching you.”
I frown before his words click into place. “It was you creeping on me? You asshole. I was really freaked out.”
“I needed to see you, but I also needed you to be scared. I needed you to turn to me so Hask couldn’t worm his way in deeper. I saw how you turned to him at the movies after I projected the home videos of you.”
I sigh, still feeling guilty about how that part of things played out. Without my memories of Nathan, I had no reason to stay away from him. I did what most people do. I saw his badge and immediately felt safe. If I had known the truth, I would have run for the hills, but that was the whole point. I needed to get close to him to make our story believable, and there was no way I would have pulled it off with my memories intact.
“I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Even without my memories, I never saw Nathan as anything more than a friend. I never looked at him the way I look at you.”
He sits down beside me and tugs me onto his lap. “We’ve been over this a dozen times, Boo. I knew what I was signing up for, and I knew all along that it was going to play out this way. I won’t pretend that it wasn’t harder than I thought it would be. Seeing you with anyone else would have killed me. But him, knowing what he did to you…” He shakes his head.
“I’m going to be a possessive fuck for a while, and you’re just going to have to let me. Eventually, I’ll get the fuck over it. But right now, I just don’t think I can let you out of my sight.”
I cup his jaw and smile when he turns into my hand and kisses my palm. “Whatever you need, Valen. You’ve always given me everything. Now it’s my turn to give you everything in return.”
“Are you finally gonna marry me?”
“As soon as you can get the marriage license.”
“Thank fuck.” He kisses me with so much love before he pulls back to look at me. “I can’t wait for you to become Mrs. Ward.Now that that’s settled, what do you want to do about your first name? Do you want to go by Hope again?”
I shake my head. “Hope is dead. There is no going back. My sister took everything from me. It only seems fitting that I take her identity. Besides, Rue means regret, and I can’t help but feel smug that she died regretting the day she fucked with me.”
“Your vengeful streak makes me want to fuck you blind.”
I laugh, burying my head against his shoulder. “You always want to fuck me.”
“I may be a sinner, but I know what heaven feels like.”
I look up at him, a wide grin on my face. “You’re such a poet.”
He smirks, yanking me closer so I can feel how hard he is.
“The FBI agents will be here soon.”
“You think my cock cares about the feds?”
I shake my head and grimace when I feel the beginning of a headache coming on.
“You okay?” Valen frowns, not missing anything.
“Headache.”
“I’ll get you something for it.”
I grab his arms when he goes to move. “It’s not too bad right now. Plus, I’m going to play it up when the feds are here.”
He tilts his head in question. “I can’t go on pretending to be a psychic now. I’ll have to make it seem like the trauma of getting my memories back messed with my brain somehow. As far as they’re concerned I’ve only had visions linked to this case since my attack anyway. When I fail to get anything new, people will lose interest in me eventually.”
“What will you do with yourself now?” he teases as I climb off his lap and grab my cooling hot chocolate from the table.
I curl up in the corner of the sofa and think it over. When I don’t answer, he nudges me with his knee.
“Hey, you okay?”
I look over at him with a smile and nod, but I feel my smile slip. He moves closer and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
