Page 107 of The Beast

“That’s what I found,” I whisper. “When I went to the cabin. Your ring, melted in the ashes. Your teeth. Blood everywhere.” Tears slip down my cheeks. “I thought you were dead. I mourned you.”

“I know.” He pulls me closer, presses his lips to my forehead. “I know, Izzy. And I’m sorry. For all of it. For believing you could do that to me. For staying dead when I should have found a way back to you.”

“You didn’t know. You thought I betrayed you.”

“I should have known.” His voice cracks. “I should have known you could never hurt me like that. Even though they set me up—even though they had someone starring in the role of Isabella Hart—I should have known it wasn’t you. I should have seen through the haze and known it was Sterling Hart. Not you. Never you.”

“Gabe.” I squeeze his hand.

“I believed the lie, and I kept believing it. And I have to live with that forever.”

I kiss his forehead. “Does it help knowing I forgive you?”

His smile is soft. “That’s the only thing that does help. That you forgive me. That by some miracle, you’re still mine.”

“Always,” I promise, then grin. “Just don’t do it again.”

As I’d hoped, he laughs. “Deal,” he says, then kisses my hand. “I don’t deserve you.”

“You do.”

“Maybe. But I’m going to spend the rest of my life earning it anyway.” He kisses me then, soft and slow. “Day by day.”

“Day by day,” I whisper against his lips.

And for now, that’s enough.