AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He filled the door frame, his icy gaze trained on mine. “Why are you here, Fallon?”
“Because…I want to get closure. I need to. I need to be able to reconcile my past with my present, to deal with the fact that Tim’s gone, so I can move on with my life. That’s what he would have wanted.”
The words I’d spilled unintentionally came from the heart, and they were whispered into the space between us, honest and raw. Maybe this was what I needed. The first step towards healing now I was back in Alstone.
He inclined his head, not speaking but acknowledging what I’d said.
Maybe I had a masochistic streak. It felt as if I was being torn apart by what Ishouldfeel and what Ididfeel.
“Zayde.”
“Angel.”
That low rumble did me in. I closed the remaining distance between us, and he was there to catch me. Strong arms banded around my body, his voice murmuring in my ear as his fingers stroked through my hair. Blood rushed in my ears, drowning out whatever he was saying, but he was so warm and so solid against me I understood what he was trying to tell me.
He was here for me.
Even though everything between us had crashed and burned in the most horrific way.
Even though I was betraying Tim’s memory by being here with him—
A tortured sob escaped my throat, and he froze against me.
“Time for me to go.” He gently released me, and before I had time to react, he left me alone, closing the door behind him. I slumped to the floor. I’d thought that when I next saw him, the only thing I’d feel was anger and betrayal. I hadn’t expected any of this. This tide of feelings was so powerful, and it was pulling me under.
When I got to the bedroom and slid between the freshly washed sheets, I picked up my new phone. It only had five numbers programmed into it. Joseph, James, my friend Hailey, my therapist Nina, and as of earlier today, Jessa. There was another number that I knew off by heart, unless it had been changed, and my fingers hovered over the Add Contact button for far too long before I dropped my head back with a sigh, letting my phone slip from my hand. Going down that path was a bad, bad idea. It wasn’t an option. I was here for closure, and first thing tomorrow, I was going to go and visit Tim’s grave.
* * *
It was early when I awoke after a night of tossing and turning. My eyes were gritty, and I had a headache, but despite that, I couldn’t help feeling positive. I’d survived my first day and night in Alstone. I’d faced my mother, and most importantly, I’d faced Zayde, and I’d managed to get through it. I could face whatever was coming my way.
After a shower and a change of clothes, I grabbed a small bag, shoving my phone and purse inside. The sun was shining, so I scooped up my sunglasses, placing them on top of my head, and opened the door.
I stopped dead as a large body unfurled itself from the floor. Zayde drew himself to his full height, stretching out his muscles. His T-shirt was riding up, and I caught a glimpse of a dark trail of hair dipping into his jeans. My mouth went dry.
“What are you doing here?”
He stared down at me, icy and impenetrable as usual, but something flickered in his gaze. A hidden softness, and it made butterflies take flight in my stomach. I worked so hard to hold on to my anger and blame, but it was so hard when I could feel the heat of his body in front of me, and my brain was reminding me of how good we’d been together.
“I’m taking you to breakfast,” he said, his voice raspy from sleep. “Back at the house.”
My eyes widened. “No way.”
“Do you want an interrogation from the girls about why you didn’t stay? We go back to the house now, and no one will have to know you didn’t stay the night there.”
Oh. On the one hand, it wasn’t anyone’s business what I did. But on the other hand, they’d been nothing but nice to me.
“Fine. But as soon as breakfast is over, I’m leaving.”
He didn’t reply to that, just turned towards the stairs, and with a sigh, I followed him. “Zayde?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you stay here all night, or did you come back here early this morning?”
His shoulders lifted. “Which answer do you want to hear?”
I knew what the answer was. I’d known it the second I’d seen him outside my door. Something inside me warmed at the thought he’d stayed there all night.
