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And take care of our boy. Sometimes he needs protecting too.
Love, your papa
Droplets fell onto the page. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to memorize each word he’d crafted for her, as she digested all he’d written. Her mother had abandoned her, but had it been the right thing to do? Yes. She sucked in a ragged breath. A hurricane of emotions pelted her from the inside out.
“The letter was inside the envelope the lawyer gave me. There was one for me and you inside. I’m sorry I didn’t open it right away.” Link’s voice made her turn to look at him.
“He really did think of me as his daughter?”
“He didn’t adopt you because he knew I loved you.”
Her brows drew together in confusion. “You mean he knew I loved you.”
Link shook his head. “That’s why I distanced myself from you. Knew I’d just hold you back from your dreams. And I figured he’d be so angry that I had feelings for you.”
“We’ve wasted so much time assuming.” She shook her head.
“From here on out, we talk, okay? You tell me what you’re feeling and what you need. And I’ll be right here for you.”
God, why did he have to be so perfect?
Take care of our boy. Sometimes he needs protecting too.
“You know, for so long I thought that the piece of me that was missing was you.” She stared into his eyes, willing him to understand. “It turns out you were just a temporary fix.”
Sometimes leaving is the best act of love.
“What are you saying?” He swiped the hair that fell into her face, tucking it behind her ear.
“I need to go away for a bit. I need to get help.”
His eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Anything you need. Do you want me to take you somewhere?”
She shook her head. “You can’t give up the shop for me.”
“But—”
“I’m going away—alone. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone . . . I mean, I don’t expect you to wait for me.” Her gaze darted to the side of the room. Of course, when they finally got together, her problems would ruin it.
His finger tipped her chin to force her to look at him once again. “I’ll wait forever for you. I mean it. Whatever you need. You get the help you need.”
She swallowed, leaning in before taking one long, deep kiss. He was so gentle with her, cupping the sides of her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb like he was trying to memorize every sensation of her as well.
He was everything. But sometimes, even that wasn’t enough. The realization that she could have all the purest love in the world but still be damaged was scary. Would she always be this way—broken? Her physical injuries would heal in time, but would her heart? What about the festering wound from her mother’s abandonment? Would she ever be whole?
Link’s tongue slid into her mouth, the sensation stirring up want and desire, but above all, a love like she’d never known, finally given the permission to be freed. She whimpered, pressing her body closer to his despite the bite of pain. He pulled back, leaving her breathless and wanting.
“You’ll fly free one day soon, little bird,” Link said, still cupping her face in his big, calloused hands. His black eyes focused on hers, love shining brightly from their depths as if the man had swallowed the sun.
What have I done to deserve the love of this man?
“How do you know?” she asked, her voice breaking.
Link’s thumbs rubbed over her cheekbones, his intense focus swallowing her up. “That’s why I call you little bird; because you were meant to fly. And I’ll be here ready to cheer you on every step of the way and to give you a soft place to land when you need to rest.”
40
Emma
