AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I know all of this because that's exactly what I went through when my parents died," he said. "You know what got me through that? You know who got me out of my depression?"
Giselle smiled. "Me."
"You."
"So, will you be there for me?" she asked, wondering if he was tired of her asking the same question over and over again, if her insecurity bothered him, if he was sick of having to keep reassuring her.
He got up and walked toward her bed. She sat cross-legged and gulped. Sitting in front of her, he took her hand in his large one and held it firmly. Her heart skipped a beat.
He tilted his head a fraction. "I will always put you first, Giselle."
Her lower lip quivered unintentionally. She pursed her lips and watched him with blurred vision.
"Do you doubt that?" he asked, his voice only a whisper.
She shook her head. A tear fell on her cheek.
Chris looked at the tear, leaned in a bit, but then looked up at her eyes in panic, left her hand, and backed off.
Giselle's belly fluttered.We’re you about to kiss my tear away, Chris?
Giselle stared at him. He gulped and blinked, but didn't break eye contact.
Why could she feel her heart beating against her chest? Why was he looking at her like he wanted to say a million things? Why did her heart crave to know what he was thinking?
She licked her lips. All she wanted at that moment was to lean into him and get herself wrapped up in his embrace. All she wanted was for him to hold her and take her pain away.
She snapped out of her thoughts with the ringing of his phone. How long had they been staring at each other?
She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as Chris fished the phone out of his pant pocket. His eyebrows merged at the caller's ID.
"Who is it?" Giselle asked before she could stop herself, instantly regretting her rudeness.
"Alex." He answered the call, "Hello? Any news?"
Giselle watched him talk to Alex for five minutes, waiting with bated breath.
"What did he say?" she asked as soon as he cut the call.
He waited. "They caught a man who might be connected to Abbott's murder."
Her eyes filled up with tears but she blinked them away. "Okay. So, what now?"
"They're trying to get him to speak up. It's a good lead. We might be much closer to c-catching the k-killer than we think." His eyes glistened.
She nodded, placed her hand on his, and squeezed. He'd stammered. She knew his heart was breaking no matter how hard he was trying not to show it.
Chris held her hand. "There's nothing more I want than getting my hands on his killer, Giselle. I'd k-kill him."
She let out a shaky breath and shook her head. "He ruined our lives."
He closed his eyes momentarily, then looked at her. "He'll pay. I promise."
She wiped away her tears with the other hand, sniffed, and nodded. "He will."
Chris waited a moment as if contemplating something, then leaned in, held the back of her neck under her hair, and pulled her toward him.
She let him in without question, ignoring the goosebumps that formed all over her skin at his touch. He rested his forehead against hers, and they closed their eyes. She felt his breath on her face which somehow calmed her nerves.
