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“Whatever happened, I’ll help you through it,” he whispered as Mason backed away, his eyes sharp with interest. “You don’t have to do this alone anymore. I’ll make sure you don’t ever have to do this alone again—not if I can help it.”
He kept up a steady stream of soothing words, not even sure she could hear him, but at a complete loss for what else to do. At last, after what felt like a literal eternity, she stopped hyperventilating, though her wracking sobs continued for another couple of minutes.
When all was quiet and still, Rafe tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. This time, she leaned into his touch, and that was all the permission he needed. Gathering her up into his arms, he held her tight against his chest, burying a hand in her hair. She folded into his warmth like a cat curling up in a sunbeam.
“What happened, kitten?”
It was several long seconds before she whispered back, “I got an email from Holly.”
Oh, fuck. If Holly rejected her, and his plan made everything worse, he’d never forgive himself. Trying to keep the guilt out of his voice, he asked, “What did she say?”
She nuzzled her face against his chest with a little sniff. “I haven’t opened it yet. I only saw the preview, but it doesn’t...” She took a moment to compose herself before finishing. “It doesn’t look good.”
Rafe squinted toward the laptop screen, but the tiny words were nothing more than a blur from so far away. “You’ll never know for sure unless you actually read it,” he told her, using the same calming voice from before. “How can I help?”
“Read it to me?” Her voice was so fragile and small, like a child’s. It killed him that his actions, his plan, brought her to this state.
“Of course.” He didn’t want to jostle her by moving closer to the laptop, and he’d never be able to hold it and scroll with her in his lap. So instead, he grabbed hold of the intricately carved wood along the base of the sofa, dragging the whole thing toward them.
He had a feeling three of the partners—Jonathan, Aiden, and Leo—would kill him if they ever found out about his rough handling of their precious antique. Especially Aiden. The dude had a serious hard-on for old, fancy woodwork.
Then again, considering there wasn’t a Dom in the place who hadn’t fucked a naked woman on that sofa, they could get the fuck over it.
“Okay,” he said, finding the email from Holly Campbell and clicking on it. “No matter what happens, try to remember the end goal. Whole new beautiful you.”
“Right. Caterpillars go through all sorts of messy shit before they get to be butterflies.” She tried for, and failed to achieve, a front of bravado. “Let’s get this over with.”
Heart pounding with a nervousness he wasn’t remotely used to feeling, he began to read out loud.
Noelle,
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Nine years, ten months, and three days. That’s how long it’s been since we last talked. That’s how long I’ve been waiting, checking this stupid email address every single day, on the off chance you ever reached out. That’s how long I’ve felt like half of me was missing. How long I’ve had to wonder if you were even alive.
You’re telling me it’s been more than a year since you left that asshole? I could’ve talked to you last October? I could’ve been with you, helping you, rebuilding your life with you? And you made me wait a whole extra year because you thought I was mad at you?
OF COURSE I FUCKING WANT TO SEE YOU. Oh my fucking God, I can’t believe I even had to type that. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever known, but you’ve never had a lick of common sense. I guess some things never change :P
Send me your phone number as soon as you can. I have to hear your voice. I have to know it’s really you. That you’re really okay.
We have so much time to make up for. And goddamnit, we’re going to make up for every single second we missed. That’s a fucking promise.
With all my love (seriously, I’ll always love you, you dumb bitch),
Holly
P.S. You’re an aunt now. I’ll tell you all about Justin and his daddy when we talk.
P.P.S. I fucking love you.
He read straight through the letter without pause, not wanting to keep her in even a moment of suspense. But he’d felt her slowly uncurl the more he read. As soon as the last word passed through his lips, he looked down at the woman in his lap.
Tears streamed down Nell’s cheeks again, but this time, she had the most radiant smile he’d ever seen in his life. The pure joy on her face made his chest swell up so much, it was actually painful. He felt like the fucking Grinch, his heart growing three sizes all at once.
It wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling. But it was sure as hell an odd one.
For one thing, he found himself understanding Aiden like never before. No wonder he liked to help damaged, lost little subs find their way. Nothing Rafe had done up to this point in his life felt as good as this moment, right here.
