Page 41 of You Saw the Best In Me

“I like that you’re broken.”

I don’t leave anything up for discussion, and I don’t let her argue anymore.

I know I fucked everything up, but I’m deadset on making it right again.

She won’t trust me for a long time, at least not entirely, but that’s okay if she stops fighting this, at least for now, when her life is at risk.

I give her space to pack a bag and take the liberty of ordering dinner.

I try one of those delivery apps that she likes, opting for greasy cheeseburgers, fries, and sodas.

I don’t feel comfortable with either of us driving right now, so the food must come to us.

I leave specific instructions for the driver to call me before buzzing in. That way, I can ensure nobody else can get inside.

“I’m ready,” Karina says, coming out of the bedroom, and I take her bag.

She brings the tequila, taking a sip from the bottle before we walk across the hall.

“You can take my bedroom, the couch turns into a pull-out bed,” I lead her toward my room and point out the bathroom.

I take a moment to notice that she dyed her hair a light greyish color, and it shines under the bright kitchen lights. It’s different, but I like it. It suits her well.

She looks around my apartment and dips into the bedroom to put her bags down.

I toss the coats from the closet on the floor, digging around until I find my safe.

I punch in the code, my mother’s birthday, and pull out the shiny silver protection piece, checking that the safety is on before securing it in the waistband of my jeans.

“What the fuck is that?” Karina startles me, and I take it back out to show her.

“It’s what you think it is. I said I was going to protect you. They were all out of baseball bats,” I shrug, laughing at my joke.

Shockingly, she laughs, too, and walks up to me.

“Can I hold it?” she lays her hands out flat, and I pass it to her.

Clearly, she’s never held a weapon before, given the way she’s trembling.

“Have you ever used it?” she warms up, putting her finger on the trigger.

“Easy, kitten. Let’s put this somewhere safe, alright?” I say, and she looks into my eyes, holding my gaze.

I take the piece back from her, tucking it into my pants and concealing it with my shirt.

I return to the safe, taking the permit and placing it in my wallet.

Karina pulls me in for a hug, which shocks me initially, but I let myself relax and wrap my arms around her waist.

“Thank you, Maverick. I thought this was all in my head,” she whispers against my neck, making me shiver.

“It was, and is, real. I promise you that,” I kiss her forehead, showing her a small ounce of affection.

This is the first time we’ve held each other like this, close and intimate, but I can’t recall a time when anything has felt as perfect as Karina does in my arms.

I catch a whiff of her fruity perfume, intoxicating me once again. I knew that if we got this close one more time I wouldn’t ever be able to let her go.

I don’t get a second to contemplate that thought, and how it affects me before Karina takes a deep breath, and her body slightly tenses against mine.