Xavier burst out into a loud laugh and so did Roman, adding his last words, "The badder the bitch, the sweeter the pussy, right?"
“My man!” Xavier clasped Roman on the shoulder. “You get it—" but Roman had enough of the conversation. I turned right in time to see Roman smash Xavier’s head into the mirror and then let him drop to the floor.
"What a fucking cunt." Roman provided his opinion of Xavier, standing over him.
Working quickly, I helped Roman haul Xavier over his shoulder and then held the restroom door open, watching as he headed for the back door.
But right when they left my sight—
There she was.
Her green eyes stared at me, afraid to believe I wasn’t a ghost. “A-Alex?” she whispered, trembling head to toe, such fear and confusion written all over her beautiful face.
Without missing a beat, I tugged on her cold and bony hand and pulled her into a storage room.
We were here now.
Together. Finally.
And I shook like a leaf too.
“Malyshka…”
I didn’t know what to say.
Didn’t know how to process it. How to explain how sorry I was.
“A-Alex?” Jade asked again, roaming her eyes all over me, unsure if I was a hallucination.
“It’s me, baby,” I whispered, assuring her and also…myself.
Jade tried to catch her breath as her fingers grazed my beard and she took in the sight of me—the sight of my scars—holding herself back from breaking down into violent sobs.
This was so much harder than I had anticipated, and my own tears spilled over. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry it took me so long to come back.” I swiped a hot tear off her cheek and at this, she fell into my chest and clasped her arms around me, pulling me in with force I didn’t know she was capable of.
“Alex!” Jade cried, her thin and starved body feeling smaller than ever in my arms. Had she not been eating? "I'm so sorry! I should've—I should've come back for you! Escaped and come back!"
"Are you crazy?! What are you talking about, baby?!" I leaned down to kiss those puffy cherry lips. "I'm so sorry I broke my promise, Jade! I'm so sorry!" I choked out, desperately trying to assuage the guilt she felt while she sobbed. "I love you! I love you so much!"
I smothered her in kisses. Both urgent and slow, my lips touched every part of her beautiful face, her salty tears mending the scars on my lips. My hands on her soft skin, I landed hungry kisses on her delicious lips, her beautiful chin, her pink cheeks, her long neck. As if feasting after starvation.
"You're so—you're so hurt!" Jade looked over me in a frenzy, not knowing which scar to pause her gaze on. "I-I love you so fucking much!"
With her arms around my neck, I lifted up my precious girl and headed toward the exit. The manager ran past us toward the dining room blazing up in a wild fist fight—courtesy of Jesús—but this time…there was no force on earth strong enough to rip us apart.
47
Four Minutes
Jade
"Tell him to go to the bathroom and freshen up for a picture. Come four minutes after him."
I understood the words, but my cognitive brain malfunctioned.
Was I going insane? Was I hallucinating?
His eyes—just like Alex’s. His scent—just like my boyfriend’s. That same divine mix of cologne and cigarettes and simply his skin.
