Page 169 of In Love and Revenge

‘I never wanted to hear anyone cry over me again. Not after hearing my mother when I ...’ He swallows thickly. ‘It’s why I’ve never let anyone to get close enough to fall in love with me. Nottrulyin love with me. I knew you hated me. I thought I was keeping you safe from all of this. My heart, it’s—’

‘The strongest, most beautiful one I’ve ever known. And you’re going to get better.’

We fall silent for a moment except for the gentle humming and beeping of machines.

‘I’m sorry, Aurora,’ he whispers.

Something inside me curls up into a ball at the anguish in his voice.

‘I know you are,’ I whisper back.

‘I thought—’ he starts, before clearing his throat. But his voice still comes out hoarse, like it’s taking a lot of effort to speak. I want to reach for his hand and hold it. Tell him he doesn’t need to say anything. But for some reason I can’t move or talk.

‘I thought I’d broken my heart already,’ he whispers into the dark room. ‘But this hurts so much more. All of me is broken without you. I don’t exist properly without you. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but God I want it. I’ve prayed for it every day since you left, and I’m not a religious man, despite my name.’ He chuckles, but it’s empty.

‘Rafe,’ I breathe.

My limbs unlock, and where a few moments ago I was frozen, now I can’t stop myself from moving towards him.

I climb on to the bed, and he shuffles across to make space for me. The bed isn’t big, so I have to meld myself along his side to stay on. He lifts his arm, welcoming me beneath it like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

And as I lie beside him, I’m transported back to the last night we spent together like this, wrapped up in one another’s embrace. Happy and in love.

He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.

I curl into him, my face nestled between his shoulder and neck, and just breathe him in, reminding myself of his warmth and scent again.

Soft lips brush my hair, and it takes everything in me to hold back a fresh sob threatening to break out of me.

‘I’ve got you,’ he soothes.

I swallow down a hiccup and bury my face further into his neck, determined not to cry again. Not now. Not when all that matters is him resting and being okay again.

I take a few deep breaths and wait until I’m sure my voice will come out even before I speak.

‘Rafe?’

‘What is it, Beaut—’

He catches himself before the whole word slips free. But I hear enough.

I screw my eyes shut.

‘Is it okay if I put my head on your chest?’

Chapter 41

Rafael

‘You never need to ask.’

Her body softens, like my words bring her relief. And, seconds later, blond hair brushes my chin as she rests her head on my chest and wraps her arm around my waist.

The ECG continues beeping at the same intermittent pace, despite the fact I could swear my heart stopped and started again the precise moment her cheek made contact with my bare skin.

She cried over me. Just like my mother.A sound I swore on my soul I never wanted to hear ever again.

I never wanted to be the cause of pain like that again.