“I love you, sweetheart,” Sandrine says in a choked voice. “And Keanu isn’t the only one who would lay down his life for you. It’s going to be okay.” She moves slowly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Please try not to let this undo all the progress you’ve achieved. I know that is easier said than done. But I also know how strong you are. How brave you are. And you are not alone. You have lots of people who love you and who want to keep you safe.”
“I know, Mom,” she whispers, and I watch helplessly as a single tear creeps out of the corner of her eye. “And I love you too.”
“And eat something!” She smooths the tear away from her daughter’s face. “You need to keep your strength up.”
“I’ll make sure she eats,” I promise.
“Walk me out?” she asks, eyeballing me.
“Sure.” I nod before facing Selena. “Why don’t you run a bath? There’s a bathroom with a tub on the next level up. There are towels and toiletries in the cupboard. Take whatever you need.”
“That sounds good. Okay.”
She gives Sandrine a quick hug. “I’ll text or FaceTime you later and again in the morning.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll talk to you then.”
I watch Selena walk upstairs with a lump wedged in my throat. I love seeing her here in my space. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t imagined it countless times since we moved in.
“If you pack a bag for Selena, I’ll have someone come by and pick it up,” I say as I walk Sandrine out of our condo.
“An overnight bag, or do you intend for her to stay longer?” she asks, raising a brow as we wait for the elevator to arrive.
“That will be up to Selena, but if it was up to me, it’d be for longer.”
I expect her to protest, so I’m pleasantly surprised at her reply. “I think that would be a good idea.”
The door pings, and we step into the elevator. “You’re okay with this?”
She pushes the button, and the doors close. “Make no mistake, Keanu, I am very far from okay. I am terrified for that beautiful girl upstairs but trying my best not to let her see that.”
“I get that. I’m the same. But I’m not about to let anything happen to her.”
“These people operate outside the law, Keanu. If that man finds out she is in Boston, there is nothing either of us can do to keep her safe, so we need to ensure he doesn’t find her. And if he does, it’s best she’s not living with me.” The doors open, and we step out into the corridor. She looks left and right, ensuring there is no one in the vicinity. “You two publicly broke up two years ago. As far as everyone is concerned, you have both moved on. This would not be the first place he’d come looking for her, which is why she is safer living with you for now.” She folds her arms, slanting me a stern look. “Unless there is a girlfriend on the scene or some reason why she can’t be hidden away here.”
“There is no one else. There never has been. Selena has always been the love of my life, and I meant what I said back there. I would take a bullet for her. No one is hurting her again.”
“She loves you very much,” she says, patting my arm. “As I do. When she ended things, it broke my heart, because you were so good for her. But she needed to do things her way. She needed her independence.”
“I would have given her anything she asked.”
“Talk to her. Let her explain. She believed she was doing the best thing for both of you.”
I struggle to see how it helped either one of us, but I keep that thought to myself.
We step outside, and I walk her to her car.
She lowers down the window once she’s behind the wheel. “Please keep my daughter safe.”
“I promise you I will protect her.”
She nods. “You’re a good man, Keanu. And I trust you with her life, but I have one piece of advice for you.”
I quirk a brow, intrigued as to what she’s going to say.
“Fight for her this time. If she tries to push you away again, which she might, don’t let her. Convince her what we both know is true.”
“Which is?”
