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“Untie me,” she says.
I inhale her scent. “Not yet.”
Her eyes shoot back at me with fire. “Untie. Me.”
“Not until we finish talking. My task was to get you to admit you love me.”
“I don’t—”
“You do. You have this entire time, same as me, but you wouldn’t admit it. I did a night of romance and a morning of lovemaking. We’ve already been through hell together, and you still wouldn’t say the words out loud. Why? Why didn’t you want to tell me?”
“Why didn’t you?” she snaps back.
Touchè.
We stare each other down. I need to untie her and let her release her wrath, but I’m not ready just yet.
“How did you get the supplies? The knife? The fake blood?”
“That’s what I was doing while you locked yourself in the bedroom. I had my team bring me Rose’s toy knife and blood from her Halloween costume last year.”
“What did she go as?”
“A prince who had just slain a dragon. The knife was her sword. Atlas went as the dragon.”
Her lips lift in a smile at the mention of our kids. When she sees me notice, she immediately glares again.
“Untie me,” Liesel tries again.
“I will, but first, say it again.”
She shakes her head. “You’ve heard those words leave my mouth for the last time.”
“No, I’ve heard them for the first of a million times. Say it again.”
“No. I’ll say it in front of the person who will give us the next clue, but that’s it. I’m not letting you hear me say those words ever again after what you put me through.”
“You can hate me all you want. You can punish me and make me pay for my tactics, but it worked. And you can’t take it back now; I know how you feel. There is nothing to be afraid of anymore.”
Her eyes drop in guilt, scared of some unknown fear. I consider telling her why I never wanted to admit to loving her, but it’s my burden to bear.
I lean in close until our lips are just grazing each others. “I love you,” I say against her lips.
My hands reach up to untie her. I can’t be greedy and expect to hear those words again until we reach Tokyo.
“I love you,” she says back.
I grin the widest smile I ever have before.
“I love you, you fucking bastard,” she says.
That makes me grin more.
“Now, untie—”
I release her arms.
She gasps.
