Page 97 of The Other Side
“I just think it’s time.”
Seven.
“Bullshit.” I reeled back. Where on earth was this coming from? “Tell me why. The real reason,” I demanded, glaring at him.
Six.
We had set off on this path, and I intended to follow through. We had made such progress, and sure we were in a bit of a lull, but things could turn around at any moment. It wasn’t likeChance to quit like this—not so suddenly. There had to be a reason.
Five.
Chance sighed, his shoulders falling, knowing he had no other option but to tell me the truth. “Daniel is gone,” he said mournfully. “But you are still here. I can’t lose you too.”
Four.
“Why would you lose me?” I shook my head.
Three.
“What the detective said—he’s right. We’re in over our heads. If anything happened to you, I could never forgive myself.” He paused. “I wouldneverget over you. You are the only thing that matters to me.”
Two.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. His declarations sat low and heavy in my body, transforming me into a new version of myself. A Violet that didn’t want to be in the dark, if it meant I wasn’t by his side, even if he stood in the light.
I tried to push the doubt away—I shouldn’t have needed confirmation again, but I needed it, one last time. “Why would you put me over him? He’s your family.” I turned toward the open doorway, gesturing to the house. “What could I possibly have to offer someone like you?”
One.
“Everything,” Chance growled, growing angry. “You areeverything, Violet. Everything I’ve ever wanted and everything I’ll ever need. You call me on my shit, you back me up, even when you don’t want or mean to. You don’t judge me for who I want to be, and you like me for exactly who I am today.” He took both my hands in his, his eyes boring into mine, so I would finally get the point, as he ground out, “You. Are. Everything.”
Happy New Year!
I pulled at him, my lips crashing into his, desperate and needy to feel his skin against mine.
He had it so wrong.
Hewas everything.
Nobody had ever sacrificed for me the way Chance had. The fact that he was willing to abandon the search for Daniel made my chest ache with longing for him. I hadn’t realized a gesture of that magnitude would be what was required to bring down the remnants of the walls around my heart.
Chance had put me first, when nobody had ever done that before. I was besotted with him.
I couldn’t get close enough to him on that stupid, narrow bench. Understanding my need, Chance pulled back. “Upstairs?” he panted.
I could only nod, my lips already swollen from his bruising kiss.
