I shook my head because I couldn't catch my breath enough to answer him.Not that I wanted to tell him what I was thinking, anyway.
He sighed, but not in an annoyed way.
No.
Stefan was concerned.
For me.
And that knowledge only made me cry harder.
“Chesca, please.Tell me what's wrong and I'll fix it.I promise.”His lips touched mine in the sweetest kiss—ever.
So gentle.
So kind.
So understanding.
I owed him an explanation.
Even though I didn't want to give him one—I decided to try.
“This,” I touched his scar with trembling fingers.
He gave me a low laugh.“My scar?Are you scared of it?Is it too disgusting to look at?You'll just have to get used to it, Francesca.I'm not a plastic surgery kind of guy.”
I shook my head and caught my breath.“You almost—” and that really was all I could manage to say before a long sob shook my body so hard all the air left my lungs.
“Fuck me,” he said under his breath as he pulled me closer.“Yeah, Chesca.I almost—” He kissed my forehead.“But you saved me.I'm here because of you.”
Oh.
My.
Heart.
More tears.
More sobbing.
I shook my head again, but Stefan held the back of my head in his hand.“Yes, you saved me.We both know it.If you hadn't been there,” his voice trailed off for a short moment, “the rest of those doctors and nurses left me for roadkill.And we both know it.”
I looked up at him through my tears.“I was so scared, Stefan.It still wakes me up at night.I get flashes of that time—”
Stefan's grip on my head increased.“No.It's over.I'm here.You're here.And the evil fucker who shot me isn't.He's long gone, Chesca.He got what he deserved.”
I gasped at the gravity of what he'd just said.
“You don't get it yet.Do you?”I felt the intensity in his voice run through my entire body.“You were meant to be there for me.You were meant to save me.When everyone else had given up—” He kissed me.“You refused to.I'll never forget what you did for me.And tonight, I vowed my loyalty to you.”He kissed me again.“And my love.”His tongue dragged across my bottom lip.“And my protection.”
My heart squeezed so tightly from his words—but the power behind what he just said completely floored me.
“And my family, Chesca.If anything ever happens to me, they're here for you, too.Forever.”
And that was—it.
Hearing him say everything he just said completely turned me to mush.
