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“Don’t call me Xo.” She tried to smack him again, but he captured both her wrists. “Don’t call my name when you’re planning to leave me.”
“What?” he panted while trying to keep her flailing hands from escaping his grip. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like you don’t know.” Scowling fiercely through falling tears, she demanded, “What was the plan? Were you going to make me love you then ditch me? Is that it? Is that what we’re doing now?”
Barry had no idea what she was going on about, but her tears went straight to his heart. Before he knew it, he’d released one of her hands.
“Don’t cry.” He grasped the side of her face with one hand and stroked his thumb across her cheek to wipe away her tears. “Why are you crying?”
“Don’t do that.” She pushed his hand away. “Don’t console me when you’re planning to break my heart.”
“What are you talking about?” He let go of her other hand too so he could cup her face with both hands. He kissed her forehead. “I’m not planning to break your heart.”
“Liar!” She pushed him back into the wall. “You’re a damn liar.” Unexpectedly, she moved toward him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face into his chest. She sobbed. “Don’t leave!”
The swift switch-up from hitting and cussing him out to hugging and pleading with him was incredibly jarring. Furthermore, he was still confused about what they were fighting over. Even so, he wrapped his arms around her back and held her tightly.
He soothed. “I’m not leaving.”
“No, you’re not.” She declared between sniffles and while clinging to him like he was a lifeboat and she was drowning. “I’m not letting you go.”
“Okay, I won’t go,” Barry agreed while caressing her back. “I’m not going anywhere. So stop crying, okay?”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her face was tear-streaked, but her eyes held a hopeful glint. “You’re not just making empty promises, right? You won’t leave, right?”
“I won’t leave,” he confirmed even though he had no idea where he was supposed to be going.
“I’m serious. Please don’t go.” Her expression and tone were fraught with panic. “I know Mercedes is a great opportunity, and it’s incredibly unfair to ask you not to go, but I don’t care. You can’t leave me. How am I supposed to live without you? You can’t go. I promise I’ll make it up to you. I’ll date you. I’ll marry you. Whatever you want. I’ll love you like no one else has ever loved you. I’ll make sure you never ever regret staying. Just don’t leave.”
Her passionate declaration was as unexpected as it was thrilling. The disappointment he’d felt the previous night disappeared like chaff in the wind, and his heart soared with happiness. What she was offering was even more than he’d asked for, but definitely everything he wanted.
“Please, you can’t leave.” Xolani clung to him desperately as she met his eyes. “I love you too much to let you leave. Don’t leave.”
That damn near knocked him off his feet. His world stopped rotating and his whole body stiffened in surprise.
She loved him?
Xolani loved him?
If he wasn’t looking right at her as she made the confession, he would’ve assumed that he was hallucinating. But the earnestness and sincerity in her eyes made it clear that she’d said exactly what he’d heard.
She loved him.
A strange light feeling started in his chest and went on to fill his whole body. If he had wings on his feet, he would’ve been on cloud nine.
“I love you too,” he declared before lowering his head to place a firm kiss on her lips.
It was almost as if Xolani had been waiting for that kiss because she easily melted into him. She rose on tiptoes and her arms went up to surround his neck even as she deepened the kiss. Her lips moved sensuously over his, and her tongue snuck out to meet and tangle with his.
Happiness merged with desire to create a heady cocktail that had him yanking her closer to his body so that they were practically glued together. It was a pity that he couldn’t tattoo himself on her body, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try. He held her tightly while he ferociously kissed her.
He could taste her tears as they kissed, but that didn’t faze him. He would kiss these and any future tears away. She’d already promised him forever, and he planned to make sure she kept that promise.
When they finally came up for air, they were both panting. Though Xolani had stopped crying, her face still had tear tracks and her lips were swollen. But to Barry, she still looked as beautiful as ever. He came back down for another passionate kiss.
As they kissed, he lifted her in his arms and carried her bridal style to the living room. He sat down with her on his lap as they tempted each other with more kisses.
When they took another break, he rasped, “Just out of curiosity, where was I supposed to be going?”
