Page 144 of Knot What I Expected

And she let me inside.

Something in my chest goes tight.

“Gabby.”

“I know.”

“You don't know what I was gonna say.”

“You were going to ask me if I'm sure again.”

Well. Yeah.

“Are you?”

She crosses the distance between us.

“Yes.”

Her hands slide up my chest. I hiss when her fingers brush too close to one of the burns. She freezes.

“Rowan?”

“I'm fine.”

“You're hurt.”

“Healing.”

“Why did you come here instead of resting?”

Because I couldn't breathe right until I saw you.

Because Monster wouldn't settle.

Because four days surrounded by flames scared me less than the possibility that you'd decided I meant nothing to you.

I settle for the simplest truth.

“Needed you.”

Her expression crumples just a little.

Not sadness. Something deeper.

“What am I gonna do with you?”

Then she kisses me. Softly this time.

And something inside me breaks open.

My arms go around her.

Carefully.

I kiss her back.

The need returns almost instantly, but there's something woven through it now that wasn't there beside the truck.