“I know. I said I’d protect you, and I didn’t. I failed you on many levels today.” I don’t realize how much guilt I feel until I say the words. I’ve been so focused on making sure she has what she needs, I never stopped to think about how little I helped her today.
“It was no one but Tyler’s fault, and you know that. I was just so desperate to figure this out and catch him that I was willing to do stupid shit to make it happen.” She turns in my hold, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I promise to try to not be a willful know-it-all and land myself in a fucked-up situation like that again.”
“I promise to protect you so that you never have to think about putting yourself in a position like that again,” I counter. And I mean it; this is something that shouldn’t have happened in the first place, but I also realize I can’t control the actions of other people either.
“You might need to set up an office in my workshop if you’re bound and determined to protect me all the time.” She smirks.
“Don’t tempt me, Marina.”
“You are very easy to rile up. It’s super cute.” She places her head on my chest, right over my heart, and we stand there until the water goes cold.
“Alright, let’s get you dried and in bed so you can sleep off the stressful day.” I drag her out of the shower, grabbing a towel as I do and drying her off thoroughly before letting her go find some clothes to put on. I make quick work of drying myself off and realize I have no spare clothes here. I don’t really want to put on any clothes that were in that fucker’s house.
“Hey, Rina?” I call out from the bathroom. Silence greets me, and I panic for no logical reason.
“Rina!” I call out as I rush into her room buck-ass naked.
I find her standing in front of her bed in underwear and a tank top.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, confused as to what just happened.
“You changed the sheets?” Her voice is so small that I wonder if I fucked up.
“I did. Was that the wrong move?” “No, it was the best move ever.” She spins around and jumps on me, wrapping her legs around my waist as I hold her up. She presses a gentle kiss to my lips before pulling back with glistening eyes. “Thank you.”
“You are very welcome. I just wanted to make sure you got some good sleep tonight.”
“Very thoughtful, my love. How about I throw your clothes in the washer so you have something to wear tomorrow, unless you want to do a very awkward walk of shame back home?”
“That’s probably a good idea, but I’ll take care of it. And it wouldn’t be a walk of shame with you. Nothing ever done with you is shameful.” I press a soft kiss to her lips before walking her to the bed and gently setting her down, making sure she’s covered up before I grab my clothes and take care of them.
Once I return, she’s fast asleep. I crawl under the covers and slide against her, wrapping my arm around her middle.
Today was messy and hard, but we endured it, and now it’s time to live the life we always should have.
Chapter 43
Rina
I wake up overheated.
Attempting to roll over proves useless, as there is a heavy limb over my stomach. When I peek over my shoulder, instant comfort hits my soul.
Everything from the past twenty-four hours runs through my head, and I know I should probably be more freaked out, but the only thought I can focus on is what Arlo and my future looks like.
Last night gave me a glimpse, and I want more. He let me have space last night when I needed it. He didn’t push me but supported me. And he changed my sheets when he knew I didn’t have the energy to do it, even though it bothered me. The little things he does mean everything to me, and now I’m determined to create a life together that we both love.
If the events of last night and what happened to Lennox don’t show the glaring reason to not let the past rule you and to hold on to the good things with both hands, then I’m not sure what will.
Life is short and uncertain. Having Arlo in my life makes me happy, and I feel like this is the life I should be living. A dream I gave up on so long ago is now in the palm of my hand, and I refuse to ever let it goagain.
Shifting slowly, I turn to face him. He looks calm and so fucking beautiful. It’s almost painful. My anger toward him all these years was out of hurt, yes, but also out of self-loathing that I couldn’t find a way to keep him. On some level, I blamed myself for failing in our marriage.
Last night made me aware of how quickly everything can change. Holding on to the past and pushing Arlo away is no longer how I want my life to be. I want to support him the same way he’s supported me. I want to help him heal and work through his injuries, and remember small details that bring a smile to his face.
My fingers barely brush against the scruff along his jaw. His lips are so tempting that I don’t even bother to restrain myself. Leaning forward, I press a soft kiss to them, savoring the way they feel against me. When gentle pressure pushes back against me and his arm tightens around me, I know he’s awake. I pull back and let him wake up a little more.
“That is one hell of a way to wake up.” His sleep-roughened voice is so fucking sexy I could jump him right this second.
