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He helps me onto the ladder and we make our way back to solid ground. He doesn’t hold my hand as we enter the hedge maze, but he stays beside me so I don’t lose my way.
“Why are you with me, Ivy?”
No baby? I’ve gotten so used to it that the absence of his pet name for me is noticeable. Why am I with him? Because I love him. Because my soul craves his. Because he makes my heart happy. I belong here, against his hard chest, in his arms. He lets me be who I want to be. He doesn’t hurt me or criticize me or try to make me fit a mold that I never can. He only expects me to be honest and open. It’s not much, but it’s everything to him.
He grasps my upper arm and pulls my back to his front. His warm breath stirs the hair near my ear. “Because I know why I’m with you. Each time I touch you I feel that connection in my chest. I adore all your quirks and the fact that when you’re with me you don’t hide who you are. Hell, I even like it when you argue with me. I like that you’re a fighter. It makes me proud to watch you grow.”
A heavy exhale leaves his lungs.
“You’ve changed my life.” I can’t seem to put voice to my thoughts. My mouth is both too dry and too wet all at the same time. “And I…I can’t imagine it without you in it.”
“I can’t imagine mine without you, either.”
His words calm my racing heart.
“So promise me.” He hooks my jaw with a finger and stares down at me. “That you’re not hiding shit from me because you’re not sure about us.”
“That’s not it.” I shake my head. That’s the one thing I am certain about. He’s everything to me.
“Then what is it?”
“It’s complicated.” Literally the worst two words in the history of the world. And once they’re out there, I can’t take them back.
“Uncomplicate it.” He growls.
“I-It’s about my…brother,” I admit.
“There you two are.” Rebel marches toward us. His three-legged dog runs up and sniffs my knee.
“Fuck.” Rogue scowls at his incoming brother before turning back to me. “We are not finished with this conversation.”
“Come on, Dog. Get off her.”
“It’s fine.” I push at the nosey dog’s nose until he gives up and finds a spot of grass to circle.
“What’s going on?” Rogue walks ahead of me with Rebel.
“We had another call from the detective. He seems to think he found a partial print,” Rebel explains until I fall out of earshot. He shoots a steely look at me over his shoulder that I read loud and clear.
If I’m responsible for his brother getting hurt, I’m dead.
Looks like I better start picking out a headstone.
Chapter Fifteen
Ivy
Dr. Keller sits in her favorite chair with a notepad balanced on her knee. She taps the tip of her pen against the page. It’s been a while since the last time I was here. I’d run into the wall and broken my nose, trying to escape Rogue’s piercing gaze.
My nose has since healed, the bruising faded.
I quit school; my paperwork submitted this morning on my way here.
I’ve spent almost every night with Rogue.
And somehow everything is a hundred times more complicated than it used to be.
Last night after everyone had finally gone to bed, Rogue had curled his body around mine and asked for an explanation about Alec. Of course I didn’t tell him that we were talking about Alec as I explained that my brother was harassing me.
