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“You’re scared,” he repeated my earlier words. “And I get that. This shit’s scary for me too, but I’m willing to take the risk for you—to do anything for you because …” He paused, his eyes going wide. “I fucking love you, Tori. I’m so in love with you it hurts here,” he confessed, pounding himself in the chest.
The tears fell harder, choking me, and I swiped at my face. “Koah.”
He said he loved me and meant it; I could see it in his eyes. My heart melted, dripping into my stomach and churning with so much emotion I thought I’d faint.
“I can help with Gracie. I can do anything. Just …”
“I love you, too,” I confessed through tears, stopping him.
He grinned, the smile not reaching his worried eyes, and exhaled as if he had been holding his breath. “Then don’t run from me—from this. Stay even though it’s scary as fuck. Stay because I can’t let you go. I won’t. I’m yours, and you’re mine. Don’t throw me away, baby.”
I pulled him into a hug, crying into his chest again. I was sure I could break things off. I was sure I could walk away from Koah, but his words—the way he looked at me and loved me—I couldn’t leave that behind. No matter who I had to face. No matter what I had to do. I would do it for him.
Donald would never say a word, and I could handle seeing his face occasionally if it meant being with Koah. It would hurt and pull forth many bad memories, but once Koah wrapped me in his arms, he could soothe it all away. As far as Joker went, we would cross that bridge when we reached it. I could do all of it for him. Donald. Joker. Gracie. I could do it all without throwing away what we had.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
And I was.
For ignoring him. For trying to break his heart. For having to lie to him every time we came face-to-face with Donald. But he was worth it. What we had was worth it.
Koah and I went inside my apartment, where I sat in his lap and we held each other. I relaxed into him, and he played with my hair, calming me and making me wonder how I ever thought I could break it off with him.
“I need to tell you something,” he said, softly kissing the side of my head.
His tone told me it was something I wasn’t going to like.
“No,” I whined, burying my face in his neck. “No bad news. Let’s just have this moment.”
He chuckled, and I smiled into his flesh before I placed a soft kiss.
“Seriously, babe. Let me get this out.”
I sat back, ready to listen and work through whatever he had to say.
“Crow saw Gracie at The Strip the other night. And again last night.”
I tensed. I wasn’t expecting that.
The one time I saw Gracie at The Strip, I made it clear I didn’t want her there. It was the reason our relationship had gotten so strained lately.
Was that where she had been the past two nights when she hadn’t come home?
“There’s more,” he said, making me sigh. “She’s with a bad group who are getting into some pretty strong shit.”
No.
Not my Gracie.
“Like drugs?”
He nodded, and my heart seized, skipping a beat before rushing to catch up with its usual rhythm.
“Are you sure?”
He shrugged. “Why would Crow lie about it?”
He was right. Crow had nothing to lose or gain by telling him Gracie was into bad stuff.
