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“They’re both hurt. He told them he’d call them, let them know he was safe, wherever he goes. But I think they’re also relieved. He took a lot of pain away with him when he left.”
Drew places two fingers beneath my chin and tilts it up so I have no choice but to look into his beautiful blue eyes. They’re shining at me with a warmth and admiration I don’t deserve.
“He kissed me.”
His gaze falters for the briefest second. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.” My breath comes in stuttered gasps. “He kissed me. And I let him. I didn’t move away fast enough. I wanted him to believe I was coming home with him. It was the only way I thought I’d get him to admit what he’d done. I told him I was scared.” My heart clenches in my chest, the back of my neck growing hot. “I told him I was scared so he’d think I needed him.”
“You don’t have to explain,” Drew murmurs softly.
“I do!”
Even if Drew can’t look at me because of this, at least I’ve been honest with him, like he’s always been with me.
“He kissed me. For one second.”
“One second?”
I look into Drew’s confused eyes. “I pulled away the second his mouth touched me. I told him his cologne was setting off my nausea.”
“You told him he was making you feel sick?”
I nod, swallowing down the acid burning my windpipe at the memory of his lips on mine.
“Yes, the smell of him. It worked. He gave me space the whole way home because it was already on all the clothes he’d brought with him.”
“I bet he hated that,” Drew grunts.
“I wouldn’t know. I could barely look at him the whole flight back. I pretended I was asleep and put my eye mask on. I listened to Jenkins’ case notes instead.”
“You listened to case notes?”
“It calms me,” I mutter.
The corners of Drew’s lips twitch, and that one tiny movement has warmth blossoming in my chest. We look at each other for a few beats, soaking in the magic in the air from being back together again. Flutters in my stomach have me moving closer, pressing myself tight against him.
“You didn’t know how long this would all take,” I breathe.
“I’d have waited forever. It’s always been you for me, Sophie. You know that.”
My entire body fills with a warm tingling, but it’s tinged with an ache deep in my chest.
“I had Holly and Halliday to talk to. But your mum and Maddy—”
“The less people who knew the truth, the better the chance it would work. Tanner knew. I wasn’t enemy number one with everyone.”
I blink back more tears at the thought of what that must have been like for him.
Drew’s eyes blaze with intensity. “Don’t. I was fine.”
“Liar,” I whisper.
His lips curl into a soft smile. “Okay, I was a hot mess without you. But I survived.”
I choke around another sob as he kisses me.
“I love you, Sophie.”
