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Penelope’s face is distant for a moment, almost like she, too, is lost in her own memories, but before I can get a chance to ask her about it, she blinks and lays her head back down on my chest. “I can listen if you ever want to talk about him.”
And just when I think she’s done surprising me, she does it again. Because nobody wants to talk about him, and even if they do, they talk about his death, not his life.
“You’re something else, you know that, Penelope?”
She lets out a small chuckle. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Well, I am.” I brush my mouth against the top of her head. “I know just how amazing you are and how unworthy I am of you.”
Penelope tilts her head back and scowls at me. “Don’t you dare say that. You’re not unworthy. Maybe occasionally you act like an ass…”
The corner of my mouth lifts in amusement. “Thanks?”
But I’m probably not doing a good enough job because she pinches me, making me yelp. “You know I’m right.”
“Yeah, yeah. No need to pinch me, woman.”
She lies back down, and a companionable silence settles over us. For the first time in a long while, I realize that the weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders since everything happened somehow feels lighter. I don’t think it’ll ever be gone, but it’s not as heavy as it was. It felt nice telling somebody what happened. Talking about Christian.
I run my fingers over her spine, enjoying the silky smoothness of her skin. Her breathing evens out, her heart beating in tune with mine.
I’m not sure how long we stay like that. I don’t think I can go back to sleep, not after the nightmare, but I’m content with just having her in my arms.
“I’m going to miss you,” I whisper, thinking that she’s asleep.
“Come back to me?” she murmurs softly.
I glance down at Birdy. Her eyes are closed, fingers are placed over my chest. I feel that familiar tightening in my chest at the sight of her.
A strand of hair slips into her face. Slowly, I push it back.
“I’ll always come back to you,” I promise.
And it was one promise I’ll make sure to keep.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
PENELOPE
I hum softly as I start to wake up from slumber, my body aching in all the right places like it always does when Sebastian spends the night worshiping my body. And that man knows exactly what to do with those big hands and long fingers.
A smile slowly works its way to my lips as I stretch, feeling the soreness of my muscles, but then the events of last night flash in my head.
Sebastian’s nightmare.
His sweaty skin under my fingertips as I tried to hold onto his thrashing body.
The desperation in Sebastian’s voice as he called to his best friend.
Sebastian holding onto me as he admitted his secrets.
They think I did it. And in a way, they might be right.
I extend my hand, expecting to find a warm male body sprawled right beside me, but the other side of the bed is empty.
What the—
My heart kicks up a notch, and the panic sets in as I tap on the mattress some more until my hand lands on a piece of paper.
