Page 173 of The Ache That Stayed

“I thought I lost you.” Her voice was barely a whisper.

“You think it’d be that easy to get rid of me?”

She laughed broken, breathless, and then—she hit him hard.

“You came back,” she said, her voice shaking.

Another blow landed against his shoulder.

“You got shot.”

And then she was pulling him into her, holding him like she couldn’t risk letting go. I watched without moving. The instinct to stop it came sharp and immediate. I ignored it, because this was what I had chosen.

“You’re okay,” she said.

“I told you,” he murmured against her hair, “I wasn’t leaving.”

He tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear and cupped her face, looking at her for a second longer than necessary. That’s when I saw it. The gentleness in his eyes as though the world only narrowed down to her and nothing else. A tenderness I’d never seen him offer anyone. And that told me everything.

“I think part of you already knew,” he said quietly. “Maybe before either of us admitted it.”

Her breath caught, but she didn’t look away. She bit her lip, uncertain, a rare flash of shyness slipping through for the first time. His expression softened then, brief enough most people would’ve missed it. He brushed his nose lightly against hers.

“I almost died with it inside me,” his voice roughened. “And I was so fucking angry.”

Her brows drew together.

“I wasn’t angry about the bullet. I wasn’t angry about Darius. I was angry because I thought I’d leave this world without you knowing.”

His thumb trembled slightly against her cheek. His eyes searched her face.

“Roxy…”

His breath left him unevenly.

“I love you.”

The words seemed to hurt as they came out.

“I’ve loved you for so long I forgot what life looked like before it. And when I thought I was dying…”

He swallowed hard.

“I wasn’t scared. I was furious.”

Her brows knitted.

“Because I kept thinking…” His eyes shut briefly.

“I never told you.” His eyes opened again.

“I never told you how much you mean to me. That I love you so much it hurts. And that would’ve been the only regret I took with me.”

Her breath hitched and she let out a whimper.

“I never got to tell you too.”

“I already know.”