Forgiving Nancy (Last Hangman MC, #5)(75)

“I missed you too.” I kneel in front of him and help him out of his shirt, making sure I don’t hurt him.

“I’m glad you did.” He strokes my cheek.

“Of course I did. I love you, Bennett.”

“I love you.” He sighs happily and rests his head against the wall with a content smile on his lips.

“Ready to be clean?” I ask in voice that I would talk to a young child as I turn on the shower.

“Like I have a say in the matter. I was happy in my own filth.” He whines.

“You’re disgusting.” I frown.

“It’s not like I pissed or shat myself.” He shrugs and leans forwards so he’s under the spray.

“That’s reassuring.”

“Why are you covered in blood and whose blood is it?” He asks as rubs my arms, watching the final traces of red wash away.

“Later, when you’re sober.” I sigh.

“You made me talk when I killed that prospect; don’t think you’re getting out of telling me what happened, young lady.” He chastises me.

“I killed a man.” I grab the can of shaving gel and spray some in my hands before lathering up his face.

“You don’t say. Now explain,” he studies my face and I sigh again before telling him everything.

“Fuck me, Nancy.” He shakes his head just as I bring the razor up to his face.

“No sudden moves. It was a couple of f*cked up days, I’m just glad it’s all over now.” I sigh and start shaving him carefully.

“How can you be sure it’s over? Your mother could make good on her threat and hire someone to kill me or take you.” He frowns.

“I know, I’ll just have find a way to get it into her head that I’m never coming back. I want nothing to do with them and that if she ever tries to hurt you I’ll kill her myself,” I tell him calmly.

“You’re scaring me, Nancy.” He looks at me with a fake scared look on his face.

“Why?” I glide the razor blade carefully down his throat and hold it an inch away so he can talk.

“Well, let’s see, you’ve killed a man and slit his throat when you could have just left him to bleed out from his gut wounds. You wouldn’t be against killing your own mother if she were to threaten me and you currently have a razor against my throat. No biggie.” He grins at me.

“He was attacking me; it was self-defense. I had a moment of insanity and I snapped. I had had enough of people hurting me and taking advantage of me. As for my mother, she is responsible for every bad thing that has happened in my life. Does that make me a bad person?” I ask and look up at him, hoping he’ll tell me I’m not.

“It just makes you one of us. All the other girls have ended up killing someone too in self-defense. I’m not saying wanting to kill your mom is a good thing, but you’d do it to protect me and can’t argue with that.” He shrugs and grins drunkenly.

“Oh you secretly f*cking love that I would do that.” I laugh. He motions for me to move back and he scoots down and off of the bench. He sits on the shower floor across from me and grabs my ankles. He pulls at them and places my legs over his hips. We stare at each other with our lips mere inches from apart.

“I do. It’s feels good knowing you’d kill for me.” He smiles and kisses me softly.

“Argh! You could’ve waited until I had washed your face.” I frown and wipe foam off of my face.

“You’re still cute even covered in foam.” He chuckles.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask as I shave above his top lip.

“Like you even have to ask,” he says.

“Can you forgive me?” I whisper. I’m terrified that he won’t.

“I’ve already forgiven you.” He looks at me with a serious expression and any trace of him being drunk have suddenly gone.

“I need to hear it.” I sigh.

“Why?”

“I just do, it’s important.”

“Ok, my Gorgeous Girl.”

“Say it, please.”

“I forgive you, Nancy,” he says and I can tell he means it.

“Thank you.”

“Come here you crazy woman.” He wraps his arms around me and brings me flush against his body.

“You love my craziness.”

“That I do.” He kisses my shoulder as I rest my head on his.

“You know the little twinge in your heart that you get when you are with your soulmate and it erases all the bad your heart has gone through?”

“Yes, I’ve felt that since day one, you did too?” He looks at me with a hopeful smile.

“No.” I try to keep a serious face.

“Oh.” He looks disappointed and I feel cruel for teasing him.

“I’m kidding Bennett. Did you seriously have to ask?”

“Well, yeah. I always loved you, even when you were gone and hope was running thin, I never stopped loving you. I’m so sorry I failed you, I was meant to protect you and I let you get taken right under my eyes. You needed me and I wasn’t there for you. I will never forgive myself.” He sounds so sad and broken as he speaks and his words hit me deep.

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know you had a psychotic brother. It’s not your fault my parents treated me like shit and it’s not your fault that I got drunk that night. If anything, I’m grateful to you, you’ve saved me in so many ways.”