His expression falters. “And what am I supposed to do now? Pretend like none of this matters? Like we can just ignore the fact that you’ll always have one foot in that world?”
I reach out, my hand brushing his arm. “It doesn’t have to be like this,” I whisper. “I chose this world. I chose you.”
“Choose me, Indie? You barely know me,” his words sting.
“I know enough,” I counter, my voice firm despite the tremble in my chest. “I know you care about me. I know you feel this connection just as much as I do.”
He doesn’t respond, and the silence stretches, heavy and suffocating. Finally, he shakes his head, stepping back.
“For what it’s worth,” I say softly, “you’re the only thing that’s felt real to me in a long time.” The tension between us is stifling. I want to go to him–to feel his arms around me in a reassuring hug. To know that we’re okay–that we’ll always be okay. Finally, I can’t take it anymore. “King, say something.”
His head turns slightly, but he doesn’t face me. “What do you want me to say?”
I flinch at the edge in his voice. “Anything. Tell me you’re angry. Ask me why. Just... talk to me.”
He exhales sharply, turning to face me at last. His eyes, dark and stormy, pin me in place. “Do you love him?”
“No—never. How could I? He…he was abusive, manipulative–”
“He got physical with you yesterday–I wanted to kill him,” comes his reply. Finally, he turns, crossing the distance between us on long strides. “How could you think I’d ever be mad at you? Confused–hurt, but never mad.” His arms wrap around me and he pulls me into him, crushing me in the hug I’ve been waiting for.
“I was so afraid you’d think I was too much trouble.”
“I’m not giving up on us,” he says. “You know what I think?” he murmurs, pressing his lips to mine, “I think you’re afraid to want more, with me,here.”
“I–I’m just afraid I’ll disappoint you–that I’m not deserving of–”
“Indie–” his hands cup my cheeks, his warm eyes blazing into mine, “I love you, nothing will ever change that.”
“But maybe love isn’t enough…”
“Bullshit. If we both believe it’s enough than that’s all that matters. But we both have to believe it, Indie. We both have to be all in or this doesn’t work.” Vulnerability swims in his eyes.
“Maybe you don’t understand what you’re asking,” I say quietly. “My life... where I come from isn’t simple. I want this life with you, I want to be here on this mountain with you and Aunt Betty and everyone else but I’m afraid my old life will always haunt me.”
“Those people can haunt you all they want but I’ll never let them take you from me.”
“Maybe that’s easier said than done,” I admit.
“Maybe.” He grins, pulling me into a hug. “But they’ve never met a man like me.” His grin slides to one side and makes my heart flutter. “I’m as stubborn as a mule, Indie, and I always get what I want. And what I want is you in my life forever.”
“Promise?” I whisper, fear still clinging at the edges of my hope.
“I promise you’re never getting rid of me, baby.”
Just then my cellphone vibrates with the emergency ringtone I set for all of my clients. I fish it out of my jacket pocket, glancing at the screen. “That’s the Grangers–she must be in labor.”
“Well, let’s go then–we’ve got a baby to deliver.”
“We, huh?” I grin, love flooding my veins when I catch his gaze.
“I’ll drive you up there–the Grangers live off-grid, if we hurry we can make it in forty-five minutes.”
“Okay.” I press up on my toes, kissing him quickly before hitting answer on the phone and pressing it to my ear with a smile.
Chapter Ten
King
