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My heart flutters. But I’m not scared of the words this time.
“Before Cece’s birthday, I was already falling for you, Kat, fast and hard. I tried to rationalize my feelings, fight them, but it didn’t work.”
His confession is too open, but it also makes my heart beat so loudly that if Archer’s phone was in the room, his vital tracker for me would’ve exploded.
“I’ve never felt like this before,” he says. “Never wanted anyone like I wanted you. I’ve never felt as happy as I was with you. I’ve never been as low as I was when you said those words the night of Cece’s birthday. I wanted to stay away so I could think clearly. But that seemed harder when you weren’t around and all I wanted was to be with you.”
Feelings overwhelm me, but I keep my eyes locked with his as he speaks.
“I’ve never shared my dreams with anyone, Kat, but you are part of them now. Before, I dreamed of conquering the world, but I can send the world to hell if you tell me you don’t care about it.”
“You did conquer the world last time I checked.”
He pushes the hair out of my face. I melt when he touches me like this.
“That’s not what I mean, Kat. Things are changing. Ayana and Zion are not what they used to be. There will be more attacks. But this entire island means nothing to me if there’s a threat of losing you, Kat. I can’t.”
I don’t understand. “What are you saying?”
“That if you say the word, we can leave. We can go anywhere. Peru. Iceland. I have houses in Sydney and São Paulo. Where would you like to go?”
“You’re not serious…”
“You’d better have more trust in me. Take your pick. We can leave for good. I’ll never jeopardize your safety.”
“I don’t care where I am. As long as it’s with you, Archer."
His smile is more of a reflex. He let go. I can tell by the way he looks at me, his eyes glazed over with emotions, and he doesn’t hide them.
“You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met, Arch,” I say. It’s not a compliment, it’s the truth, and it’s my turn to man the hell up and tell him how much he means to me. “The strongest too. This island needs you. No, don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m not saying this because it uses you and your resources. But because you have the power to make it the best it can be. Not just Ayana, but Port Mrei. And the Ashlands. Especially, the Ashlands.”
His jaw tightens at the word. There have been security searches in the Ashlands, cleaning sweeps, and arrests. Ayana has its cameras on at all times, because now our safety is jeopardized, and it will only get worse before it gets better.
“You know,” I say, “they say that a country is not judged by how it treats its citizens but by how it handles its prisoners. There are a lot of people who need help with turning their lives around. You saw that.”
“Look at you, Mother Theresa.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I slowly say, “I’ve never met anyone I enjoyed choking out so much. I might try it again—”
He lunges at me too quickly, considering his injuries, but I don’t fight back when he wrestles me into his chest in a playful choke hold. But then his hold loosens. He doesn’t let me go, just holds me. His other arm wraps around my back, and he buries his face in my hair.
There’s silence. We can exchange words and insults and cocky remarks, but it’s the silence between us that’s the most meaningful.
I finally break it. “I might be hot-tempered occasionally. And irrational. But I’m crazy about you, and sometimes I go overboard when I think I might lose you.”
“You won’t.”
“You are the one who’s saved millions around the world. Me, I would sacrifice that entire world for you, Archer. The world depends on you. Because if you are in danger—I’ll set it on fire.” I try to swallow a lump in my throat. “I want to always be by your side.”
I sniffle, trying to hold back tears.
“I love you, beautiful,” he says softly. “I love your body, and your crazy mind, and your free spirit. You push my buttons, get under my skin, and you make me the happiest guy on earth. The day you choked me out, I knew you were the only woman who could take my breath away.”
I chuckle, but my chest tightens, and my eyes burn at the thought of how much I love him. Love, the scariest word, now grips my heart in the tightest chokehold.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
“What was that, you little coward?” He pulls away to look at me.
