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He fiddles with the cottony sheet. “You deserve someone better, Annalise.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I do have a dark side, you know, but most of all…you need a man of faith.”
A stab of conviction. “And you’re not?”
A flicker of something meaningful flashes in his eyes, but he lets go of the sheet and folds his arms. “I think my behavior speaks for itself.”
“You’re very hard on yourself.” Two weeks ago I never would have guessed it of the man I met.
“Too little, too late.”
The man is a deeper well than he lets on. There are a million and one things I want to say to him, but if I’m learning anything over this unsettled and unpleasant period of my life, it’s that people do what they do, think what they think, and they have to come to their own revelations in their own time. More, in Marco’s case, he has far more pressing issues to deal with than overly harsh self-critique.
And he’s dead right about the faith thing, something I shouldn’t have needed him to remind me of. I’ve made that mistake once before. Yes, I wandered, but I’m coming back. Home. And I’m going to need a man—when I need a man—who shares the same faith I do.
Still, he’s adorable, standing here in my ER bay in a well-worn cap that probably covers wild hair. He’s so handsome, and those crazy tattoos are on display, so I’m betting he got more than a few sideways glances on his way to visit me.
What’s missing is joy in his heart to match the vibrant façade. Funny, joy has been a far cry from my reality lately, so it seems odd that I suddenly, desperately, want it for him. I guess I’ll know how to pray for him now.
I fold my hands. “Well. I suppose you need to be going.”
A quiet nod.
“Come here.” I crook my finger, and, like magic, it pulls him to me. Resting a hand on the bedrail, he leans in and brushes a kiss on my forehead.
It isn’t enough. I wrap my fingers around his neck and pull his lips to mine. Our odd association is at an end, but the words of my college advisor when I was struggling to find a workable schedule one semester, ring in my mind:where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Together, Marco’s lips and mine are magic. The x-factor, the secret ingredient, the winning combination.Eureka, I found it!Good thing I’m lying down, because his touch, his scent…him…bring me to my knees. Despite the obstacles, despite the absurdly short acquaintance…I’m melting. I curl my fingers into his hair.
This can’t be the end.
My advisor’s cliché is replaced by words with real power:Nothing is impossible with God.
CHAPTER 35
Annalise
Poor Marco. I’ve been trouble since we met, but now I’ve piled on by putting him on countdown to the flu.
Brilliant, Allie Girl.
I shiver at memory of the nickname. I still hear the timbre of it on his lips.Allie Girl.
Though I’ve longed for a real relationship, falling in love wasn’t what I expected or what I wanted during this particular crazy season of my life, and yet, here I am.
And there Marco goes. Away from me. And to jail, no less. I rock this whole relationship thing, don’t I?
Closing my eyes, I settle against the pillows. The flu?Now?Boy, when it rains it’s a category five, isn’t it?
“Knock knock.”
Does Tripp hear the sigh? Do I care?
I blink open. Since it’s the middle of the night, he gets a pass for being a little disheveled in untucked flannel and denim.
He edges his derriere onto the mattress near my feet. “How you feeling?”
