Crush(118)

She reached for me. “I love you, too,” she whispered, and then pressed her lips to mine.

It was something I had wanted to do but wasn’t sure I should. Her lips looked so battered and bruised. The thought of why they might be turned my stomach and I couldn’t ask, not yet.

She flinched at the contact and I kissed my own fingers and gently placed them on her lips. “This is me, kissing you.”

Tears welled in her eyes again, and she kissed her own fingers and placed them on my lips. After a few moments, she took my face in her hands. “You don’t look so great.”

I had to laugh at that. “Yeah, I’ve had a rough night.”

Moving faster than she should, she wrapped her arms around me, and I let her hold me for a long, long time. I held her too and in her arms I gained strength. She brought it to me. I knew then we had a lot to discuss. When I finally let go of her, I cleared my throat and pulled a chair up so I could swing the food tray around to feed her.

She put her hand out. “I can do it.”

I smiled at her. “I want to. And while I feed you, I want you to talk to me. Tell me everything and anything you can remember. Then I’m going to help you take a shower. And after that I want you to get some rest. Once you’re discharged we are going to go down and talk to Blanchet. This is much bigger than me and Miles, and I think it’s time we let the authorities handle it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

The sun slammed through the window and she squinted.

“Here, I’ll shut the blinds.”

She shook her head and reached for the sunglasses that were hanging from my long-sleeved T-shirt. “I want to feel the sun on me. It feels so good. I was cold for so long.”

That f*cking lump was back in my throat and my hands were shaking as I tried to feed her the chicken broth.

She opened her mouth and accepted the spoonful. She swallowed slowly.

As I went to give her another, I said, “Listen, before you start, I need to tell you something.”

Fear riveted her and her entire body went rigid. She stopped me from giving her another spoonful by taking hold of my hand. “What is it? It’s not Clementine, is it?”

“No,” I said immediately.

She relaxed.

“I went to see Michael. He didn’t believe me that you were missing, so I told him I was talking to you on the phone when you were abducted. I didn’t tell him anything else about us, but I’m sure he can figure it out.”

She took her hand away and indicated I could continue.

That was a good sign.

I scooped another spoonful.

After she swallowed it, she said, “I think you are right. It’s time to come clean about everything. Michael loves Clementine and I know even if he’s angry with me, he’ll do what’s best for her. In the end, he will.”

I wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince me or herself, but I agreed with her.

She ate everything on her plate and told me what she remembered, which wasn’t much. I helped her shower and then put her back into bed. She didn’t have any clean clothes, so a clean hospital gown had to do for now. Once she fell asleep, I’d slip out and head to the lobby. Miles was downstairs and I needed to fill him in. And I was also certain he wouldn’t mind heading back to Boston to grab a few things—including one very important thing.

“Lay with me,” she whispered.

“I’d do anything for you,” I said as I took my place next to her.

“Even jump through fire?” she asked sleepily as her head found my chest.

“Jump through fire, leap from the tallest bridge, scale buildings, anything.”

“My hero.”

I wasn’t her hero.

Or her white knight.

But I knew what I could be and as corny as the thought was in my mind, I was going to be . . . her Prince Charming.





ELLE


A tiny detail sat on the outskirts of my consciousness.

It was right there but I couldn’t place it. I was in the bathroom when it hit. I’d just woken up and Logan wasn’t back yet. Feeling clearer-headed than I had earlier, I replayed the events of the past few days in my head. It wasn’t long before my mind felt overworked trying to pull everything together and I wished Logan were here to bounce my thoughts off of.

Unfortunately, that tiny piece of the huge puzzle was lost before I could figure out what it meant. Frustrated, I stared into the white porcelain sink, trying over and over to bring it back.

I didn’t know how long I’d been standing in front of the mirror. Just looking. Thinking. Concentrating. Until eventually, I gave up and let my mind wander. I wondered if I’d have a scar. When I could kiss Logan without my lips scorching in pain. If the day would come when he could look at me without feeling racked with guilt. This wasn’t his fault. Whatever this was.

“Elle?”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

The voice caught me off guard. I gripped the sink, feeling panicked. Shifting my eyes around the small space, I knew I had no choice but to answer. There was no escape.

Still, I didn’t move.

Michael tapped on the bathroom door. “Elle?”

“Yes, I’ll be right out,” I called in a shaky voice.

Why was I frightened? I had no reason to be. He said he’d be back. Why hadn’t I thought to call and tell him not to come?