Page 100 of The Outpost (Jamison Valley 4)
“Sure.” He nodded and took my bag outside.
I took a deep breath and crossed the living room. He looked up and locked eyes with mine, and I took a moment to memorize the stormy blue I would miss every minute of every day for the rest of my life. I couldn’t manage to choke out a good-bye so instead I whispered, “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The pain in his voice brought on a fresh wave of tears.
“Beau, I . . .”
I don’t want to go. I want to see you again. I want more time.
None of those words found their way out. Instead, I lost control of my emotions and started crying at the same time Beau yanked me into his chest, wrapping me up tight as he pressed his cheek to my hair.
I cried for the future we’d never have. The happiness I’d never find without him. The pieces of my heart I was leaving here.
“Please, be careful, Sabrina.”
I nodded but kept crying.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you safe here longer.”
Me too.
“I’ll miss you,” he whispered.
Then tell me not to go. Tell me there is somewhere else to keep me safe. Tell me you’ll come with me to Seattle.
Tell me anything.
I kept those words inside too. Saying them out loud when we only had minutes left wouldn’t solve anything. It would just make this harder, so I just whispered, “I’ll miss you too.”
We held on to one another for a few more minutes, my tears soaking his shirt as our arms clung to the last few moments we had together.
When the door clicked open, I knew our time was up.
“Sabrina,” Henry said, poking his head inside. “We’ll need to leave soon or we’ll miss the last flight out.”
I let Beau go and stepped away. “All right.”
“One more minute,” Beau told him. When Henry closed the door, Beau pulled me back into his arms.
“If you ever need anything else, you call me, okay?”
“Okay.”
This was it. This was our good-bye.
And I hated it. I wanted to kiss him. To make love to him one last time. To spend one more night in his arms.
But I wouldn’t get that good-bye.
We didn’t have time.
We only had this one last hug that crumbled my already-shattered heart.
When Boone nudged between our legs, I dropped to the floor and wrapped my arms around his neck, the sobs coming uncontrollably as I said good-bye to Beau’s dog.
As I said good-bye to my dog.
“I love you,” I whispered to Boone, hoping that Beau would know I was talking to him too.
