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“Mmm?” I gave him an innocent look.
Shaking his head, he studied me intently, and then he huffed out a small laugh, tugging the gun out of my hands.
“I love you. So. Fucking. Much.”
“Wh—”
His mouth came down on mine, cutting off my words. I instantly wrapped my arms around him, kissing him back with everything I had.He loved me. I knew that he did, because he’d shown me every day, but to hear those words coming from his mouth, at the most unexpected time, when we were halfway through a battle simulation in a muddy field in the middle of winter…
I wouldn’t have changed this moment for anything in the world.
“I love you so much, Zayde.” There were tears in my eyes, but I blinked them away, smiling so hard that my cheeks hurt. He returned my smile, dropping kisses across my cheeks, my nose, and then my mouth.
“You’re mine, and I’m never letting you go.”
We remained that way for a perfect, still moment, breathing each other’s air. Happy. Together.
Then my boyfriend swung himself into a seated position and shot me in the chest.
* * *
“You were the one that lost us the game.” West elbowed Cassius with a smirk. “Can’t stop thinking with your dick, can you?”
“Jessa cheated! It wasn’t my fault.”
Jessa shook her head, the picture of innocence. “All I did was promise you a blowjob if you let me shoot you. I’m no match for your shooting skills, so I had to improvise.”
“But your blowjobs are so good, how—”
Caiden clamped his hand over Cassius’ mouth, muffling the rest of his words. “Let’s call it a draw.”
“No,” Winter and Lena said at once. Zayde wasn’t even paying attention for once, hugging me from behind and pressing kisses into my hair. I melted into him, turning my head so I could meet his gaze.
“While they’re distracted, can I show you something?”
He nodded, releasing me to take my hand, and we made our way through Skirmish to the locker area. My package had arrived this morning, and I hadn’t had a chance to open it before I came, but I also hadn’t wanted to wait to show Zayde.
I unfastened the key from my wrist and unlocked the locker door. Unzipping my bag, I withdrew the small parcel and handed it to him. “Open it.”
Taking a seat on one of the benches, he pulled off the tape and brown paper to reveal a small cardboard box. When he opened it, he inhaled sharply, his throat working as he stared down at the contents.
I swallowed hard. “I…um. When I left Switzerland, I left them behind. At the time, my head wasn’t in the right place. I hadn’t…I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get them back, if they were gone for good. But Selma—she works in the sanctuary—she kept hold of them for me. She had the chain fixed.” Gathering my courage, I met his eyes. “I’m so sorry, Z. I’m sorry that I treated them so badly. I know how important they were to you—tous. I just—”
Placing the box down, he stood, tugging me into his arms. “I know, baby. It’s okay. You don’t have to explain. I get it.”
When we drew apart, he carefully lifted the chain from the box, directing me to turn around. He gathered up my hair, smoothing it over one shoulder and pressing a soft kiss to the back of my neck before he fastened the chain. My hand came up, my fingers stroking across the angel wings. They’d been a gift from him when I turned sixteen, designed by him to show how much I meant to him, but only when I’d come back to Alstone had I realised just how deep those feelings went. He had the tattoo inked into his skin, and the same symbol hung over our bed.
“My angel,” he murmured, his hand covering mine, his thumb stroking across the platinum feathers.
“Always,” I whispered. “I love you.”
Reaching back into the box, I drew out his copy ofTo Kill a Mockingbird, forever grateful to Selma for having the insight to put it aside instead of throwing it away. I turned around, holding it out to him.
He smiled as his fingers curved around the spine of the book, his thumb stroking across the corner of the battered front cover.
My heart skipped a beat.
I’d righted a wrong, and he was happy.
