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“I remember.” Panther’s voice was calm, low, and a little bit…tense.
“Yeah. Uh, well, he said a few things to me that—”
“That what?” Panther demanded, drawing his hand away from mine.
I wanted to reach for it again, but the vibe rolling off him right now didn’t exactly scream, Comfort me. It screamed, Hurry up and finish the fucking story.
“What did he say to you, Solo?”
I licked at my lips, wondering how much to divulge, but in the end decided to go with the CliffsNotes.
“Nothing I didn’t already know.” I leaned back against the handrail on the merry-go-round and slipped my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t do something stupid like try to reach for him again.
“Such as?”
“Such as, he’s not happy about this…us. He doesn’t think I’m a good choice for you, and I’m certainly not the one he would’ve picked out.”
I looked over my shoulder. Anywhere but at a silent Panther. I couldn’t seem to get a read on him, but when he shot to his feet and started to pace, I knew the smartest course of action was to wait.
Wait and let what I’d said process.
“He told you that?” Panther finally said. “He told you that he’s not happy about us?”
His icy tone sent a chill up my spine, and so did the tic in his jaw. Panther was pissed. When I nodded, he cursed.
“What else did my father say to you that morning?”
“Um…” I swallowed, and Panther leaned down and placed his hands on the rail I was leaning against, effectively caging me in. “He said that if I cared for you then I should do what’s best for you.”
“What’s best for me?”
“I believe his exact words were ‘I expect you’ll do the right thing.’”
If anger had a shade, it would’ve been the red tinge now staining Panther’s cheeks.
“And what exactly is that supposed to be? Pushing me away? Treating me like a piece of shit for the last couple of days?”
“No.” I got to my feet, and Panther took a step back, but I wasn’t letting him go anywhere. “Trust me, that’s the worst thing I could’ve done. The dumbest fucking thing. He just…he got in my head, okay?” I threw my hands up in the air. “He got in my head, made me doubt myself—”
“And me.”
“Yes,” I admitted, as Panther went back to pacing. “And you. And, well, I started to think that maybe he was right and you would be better off without me. I mean, let’s face it, you deserve way better than someone like me.”
“I deserve better?”
“Yeah. I’m not stupid, Panther. You’re practically Navy royalty. You’re smart as hell, you fly like you own the sky, and you’re the bravest person I’ve ever met. I love you, but I’m under no delusions. I’m aware that I probably only have you for a limited time here.”
Panther stopped and slowly pivoted. “What did you just say?”
As I thought back over my words, three that I’d never said to anyone stood out like a flashing neon sign.
As Panther began walking in my direction, I found myself backing up, not because I feared violence or rage, but because the emotions in his eyes mirrored everything I’d felt over the last couple of weeks and been too afraid to say out loud.
“You said you loved me.”
“I…”
Panther’s blazing blue eyes held me in some kind of trance, and his lips curved into a smug smile. “You said you loved me.”
Just hearing him say those words made my heart feel like it was going to burst, and that smile was designed to bring me to my knees. “I did.”
Panther reached for one of the belt hooks in my jeans and tugged me in as close as he could. Then he lowered his head and whispered across my lips, “Say it again.”
“I love you,” I said, and reached up to take hold of Panther’s face. “I just didn’t realize how much until I’d almost lost you.”
“Never.” Panther’s eyes fell shut and he leaned his forehead against mine. “You could never lose me because I’d refuse to go. I love you too, Solo. And I don’t care what anyone has to say about that, especially my father. These last few days have felt like forever.”
I pressed a soft kiss to Panther’s lips. “I’m so sorry for everything I said to you—”
“It’s okay.”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s not. I should’ve trusted you, trusted us more. You’re right. I let your dad get in my head when I should’ve come and talked to you.”
“Trust me, I get it. If anyone understands the kind of mind games my father can play, it’s me. But next time, don’t shut me out, okay? We can deal with anything, even him, as long as we’re doing it together.”
“Deal,” I said, and then took Panther’s hand, an idea suddenly taking hold of me. “So, um, will you let me make it up to you?”
