Page 115 of Secrets of the Brother
I actually had to pry my teeth from his flesh, shocked to see the deep, crescent-shaped mark I had made. Breathless, I collapsed.
He gently lifted me up. Closing my legs, he curled me onto his lap and held me.
We stayed that way for I didn't know how long.
Finally, the darkness and chill forced us to move.
* * *
Fights were like storms.
Usually afterward there was this strange, weightless feeling, all the negative energy dissipating to leave the air clean and refreshed. A new beginning.
Unless that storm was a hurricane.
Then nothing felt clean and new afterward, just damaged and worn out.
We both stood.
Enzo gently unbuckled his belt that was still around my neck.
I had actually forgotten it was still there, having gotten used to the weight and feel of its restraint.
If that wasn’t a scarily symbolic, screeching warning from the universe, I didn’t know what was.
Enzo then retrieved my coat, brushed the dead leaves off it, and silently put it on me as if I were a child, lifting one arm then the other, then closing the front and buttoning it over my now wrinkled lace chemise. He knelt and lifted up my left foot, brushed off the dirt and put on my broken shoe. He broke the heel off the right one and put it on my other foot.
He then shrugged on his dress shirt, but didn’t button it, and stuffed his tie into his trousers.
We faced each other awkwardly in the center of the watchtower ruin.
Without warning, I burst into tears.
Not cute little tears streaking down my cheeks.
Sobs.
I didn’t even know why.
Well, I did know why, but I didn’t.
I was just so overwhelmed and just so….
Enzo wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me into his embrace. Enclosing his strong arms around me, he pressed my head against his chest, close to his heart.
He kissed the top of my head. “Don’t cry, babygirl. I swear to God, I will spend every waking moment of my life making sure you don’t regret staying with me.”
I sniffed, then grumbled, “It’s not like you’re giving me much of a choice.”
His chest vibrated as he chuckled. “My vow stands.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered against his shirt.
I was scared of getting hurt again. Scared I wouldn’t survive the pain. Scared I was making a mistake by staying. Scared I would be making a bigger mistake if I left. Scared of loving someone like him. Scared of the future. Scared of what people would say. Scared of the scandal. Scared of what my parents would do.
He squeezed me tighter. “I’m not.” He leaned back, clasped his hands around my face and tilted my head back. “There is nothing to be scared of. I will never… ever… hurt you like that again,tesoro mio.From now on, it’s you and me. Nothing is going to come between us, not your parents, not this bullshit investigation, not what anyone thinks, nothing, because none of that matters. All that matters is us. Understood?”
I never doubted he would protect me from the world.
