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"We can't stay here forever."

"Not unless you want to starve." I ran my hands through my hair and let out a deep breath. "I guess we'll just have to stick together and hope that we're not spotted."

Scarlett nodded and reached for my hand under the blanket. I squeezed her hand back tightly.

"It's going to be okay," I said with a smile.

"What makes you think that?"

"Everything has been okay so far."

"Really?" she questioned.

"Things could have been a lot worse. I could have actually died," I said, thinking about how close I had come.

Scarlett smiled and placed her head on my shoulder. I didn't know what to say so I decided to just hold her.

"What happened?" Scarlett asked, pulling away from me.

I lowered my head, embarrassed that I had been caught. "Damon figured it out somehow. He started asking a lot of questions that I couldn't answer, like how you could have simply vanished. I tried to talk my way out of it, but he wasn't buying it and neither were Blaise's men. Things got heated and then he just attacked. After that, I was just trying to survive. It was really stupid of me to think I could keep this going."

Scarlett sighed. "It wasn't stupid." She paused before speaking again, her tone somber. "What other choice did we have? You could have saved yourself and turned on us. I am grateful for all your help."

She looked away as she spoke, but the words seemed sincere enough. There was still tension between us, something I hadn't realized until recently. I was still wary around her, though I knew it was only because I didn't trust anyone else. I was starting to realize that I no longer had anyone else. That made everything worse. We both had to find somewhere safe to live in our own minds at some point. I hoped we would have time to figure out where, or if we'd ever be able to trust each other enough to have a future. As long as we could find that, we could move past whatever issues existed between us. I wanted a chance at that.

Scarlett looked over at me and gave me an encouraging smile. "I'm glad you are okay. I was scared that I might lose you."

It took every ounce of strength not to let my face show how relieved I felt. "I don't want to lose you. I can't lose anyone else," I said softly.

"I know exactly how you feel. You won't," she assured me quickly, her voice gentle, and warm. "As long as we stick together, we'll always make it. Even when this is over, even if things get ugly again, we will get through. We will always be together."

"Yeah." I nodded, feeling some of the tension leave my body. Maybe we weren't as hopeless as I thought. Maybe we could make it work.

We sat there silently for several minutes, watching the rain fall around us. I felt the need to say something, to thank her for being here when no one else was. But I wasn't sure how. I wasn't used to having people care about me so much.

It was new territory, and I didn't know what to do with it. What to say to her. How to thank her? Instead, I stared at my feet, unable to meet her eyes.

I heard her stand up quietly and felt a hand touch mine. I glanced up to see her standing before me, her fingers wrapped gently around my hand. The gesture surprised me enough to force my gaze upwards. She smiled gently at me. "Are you ok?" she asked quietly. Her gaze held mine steadily, unblinking. It was impossible to break away from those eyes. She looked into mine and saw more than I ever cared to let anyone see. If you were truly worthy of such feelings, you wouldn't be afraid. Or hurt.

Slowly I nodded, my throat tight. It suddenly felt too much to speak. A moment later Scarlett was pulling me towards her. I stumbled, letting out a small laugh. When I managed to pull myself together, she was hugging me tightly. My heart leaped into my throat as I returned the hug, my arms wrapping protectively around her waist. For once, I didn't fight it.

It felt right holding her. Safe. Warm. Familiar.

All these emotions overwhelmed me, filling my chest with warmth and filling my head with dizzying ideas. This could be real. We could have a life together. No one could take that from me. If I could just convince her...

The last thing I expected was for her to kiss me. Not here. Not now. And certainly not under the light of the moon, with everything weighing heavily against us. But it was happening, and I let it happen. Let myselfdrown in it. All I could think about was how badly I needed it. I needed Scarlett to feel safe next to me. Needed her to believe me. To love me.

The world seemed to fade around us as she kissed me. Every inch of my body ached with longing. My hands traveled across her skin, my lips traveling the expanse of hers, desperate to hold onto her. All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe properly. I couldn't see or hear anything around us. Nothing mattered. Just this woman. Just this moment.

And then she pulled away, her breath coming in ragged pants, her cheeks flushed red. For a split second, she looked as though she might burst into tears, but she quickly collected herself. Her composure remained intact, although she looked unsure of herself, almost frightened. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear nervously.

I watched her carefully, my heartbeat thundering loudly in my ears. Slowly I stood up and turned to face her once more, a smile plastered on my face.

I opened my mouth, but nothing emerged. I could barely speak. I was speechless, completely stunned by the events. I never wanted to leave her side again. Ever.

Chapter Nineteen

Grayson

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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