Page 160 of Jude

Jerking his chin, he turned and strode into the gloomy alley with his head bowed, hands stuffed in his pockets.

I followed his silhouette down the lane, my heart squeezing with a yearning so piercing I could scarcely breathe.

He turned, slipping into the wooden doors of the small chapel next door.

That was the moment my truth crystallized.

I still wanted him, and more importantly, I loved him.

I couldn’t let him walk away like this, I thought, as a desperate gasp escaped my lips.

Grabbing the binder from the bin, I clutched it tight and marched after him.

I pushed through the doors into the sanctuary.

Ruby and sapphire stained glass cast deep, colored pools across the threadbare carpet.

Jude sat in the back row, his broad shoulders hunched forward, his face buried in his calloused, tattooed hands.

I jolted at the sight, then shuddered as I caught the rough, ragged growl of agony escaping him.

He was breaking, his broad shoulders shuddering with a violent, guttural strain, crushed by remorse.

His raw grief ripped through me, melting the numbness I held onto for weeks and destroying the last of my defenses.

With a cry, I ran down the aisle towards him.

I dropped to my knees on the carpet, sliding the binder onto the wooden pew beside him.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hung on for dear life.

Jude flinched in shock, twisting to face me, his inky green eyes burning with stunned disbelief.

‘Sofia? What’re you doing?’

‘Shh,’ I whispered, leaning closer until my forehead rested on his.

My fingers tangled in his hair, whispering with urgency.

‘First, I don’t want your money. I never did. Second, I forgive you, Judah. You broke my heart, but enough of the torment. You’re my husband. I’m not living another moment without you.’

With a rumbling groan, he hauled me flush to his chest, his arms locking around my waist with a possessive, crushing force.

A rough breath tore from him as he held me, his face buried in the crook of my neck.

Then he pulled back an inch, his calloused hands framing my face with fierce intensity.

His green eyes searched mine, wild and filled with a raw, agonizing hunger.

‘Sofia, really?’ he growled, his timbre a deep rasp. ‘Do you mean that? Are you truly coming back to me? After everything? After I treated you like shit and didn’t believe you? After I failed to trust you when you needed me most?’

‘Judah, yes, yes and yes.’

‘Look at me,’ he rumbled, his thumbs sweeping over my cheekbones, commanding my gaze. ‘I put you through hell. My arrogance and blindness tore us apart. How can you look at me, let alone forgive me? You have my heart and soul, Sofia, but I need to know you won’t wake up tomorrow and try to run from me again.’

‘I’m sure,’ I whispered, my breath hitching at the volume of possessive heat burning in his stare. ‘I’ve never been surer of anything because I want you in my life and world, forever, honey. As some damn good vocalist sang, ‘infinity belongs to us.’

The tension in his jaw snapped, the shadows in his eyes giving way to pure, unadulterated relief.