I pull back, looking at him through blurry tears. “You’re out?” I question, needing to hear the words.
“I’m out.”
“For good?”
He chuckles softly, his hand moving to cup my face. “Yes, angel. All the charges have been dropped.”
“How? Why? What happened? Thank God, but how?” I ask, my mind reeling. “David was brutally honest with us yesterday after court that things weren’t looking good. He was pretty sure the judge was going to hold you without bail based on the severity of the charges.”
He brushes his thumb against my cheek. “It didn’t look good. I was prepared for today to be the last time I saw your face.”
“What?”
Killian’s green eyes are haunted and there’s a pain beneath them that makes my stomach ache. I don’t want him to be sad, not now.
“I didn’t think I would ever get to do this again. To touch you, hold you. I wasn’t even sure you’d be here ever again—not that I would’ve blamed you if you were already back in New York.”
I blink a few times. “Of course I’d be here, you idiot—and not just because you pay me to protect your company. I’d be here because…I care.”
I love him, and while our entire relationship is up in the air and this may end up being goodbye, I’d still be here right now.
“Tessa, I watched them storm the house and take you into custody. You should be livid that I put you in danger. You should hate me for what you went through. I…fuck, you were caught in the middle of this mess.”
I shake my head. “Youdidn’t do this. You didn’t purposely make this happen. Yes, I was scared, and it’s definitely not something I’d ever like to experience again, but the agents only held me while they searched the house. I was let go immediately after they were done, and then I went to work on getting you out. I knew you didn’t have anything to do with this.”
“I knew I didn’t, but I didn’t know how to prove it. Tessa, I…fuck, I’m so sorry.”
I place my fingers over his lips. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” I move my hands to his chest, resting them over his pounding heart. “How are you in front of me right now?”
He lets out a heavy breath, and his beautiful green eyes fill with a mix of anger and frustration. “I’m not even sure how to process everything right now.” Killian takes my hands in his, brushing the top with his thumbs. “Can we just…go home? I want to get out of here, shower, and then I promise we can talk about everything.”
As much as my desire to know everything is burning, I can only imagine what he’s been through and how much he doesn’t want to stand around here anymore.
I lift up on my toes and press a soft kiss to his lips. “Of course, we can.”
As he rests his forehead against mine, my eyes close, and I just take this moment in.
My Killian is here. The charges were dropped and we’re together. The sheer relief of it all is so intense, it’s hard to keep it together, but he doesn’t need a frantic woman on his hands right now.
I squeeze his hands and pull back.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Let’s get you home, right where you belong.”
We made the forty-minute drive home in silence, his hand in mine, and we didn’t let go of each other the whole time.
It felt like no words would be adequate. We’d just glance over, smile, and then go back to looking at the road ahead. There is so much we still have to talk about, but right now, I don’t want anything to ruin this.
We pull up to the house and he sits, car running, staring at the front door.
I sent a text to Meredith and the group chat I’m now in with his friends, letting them know that Killian was released and all charges have been dropped. I told them I’d let them know when, and if, he was up for visitors.
Everett and Miles came and replaced the decimated door the day of the arrest. It’s not the same though. No longer is it the beautiful black door with windows up top. Instead, it’s white and has two large windows in the center, now serving as a reminder of that horrible day.
“You got new doors on the house?”
His voice cuts through the long silence. “I did.”
