AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She huffs, shaking her head. “That’s hogwash. Your entire base is built on strength and determination since you were a child. Every time life knocked you off, you came back stronger. Zander might have taught you how to physically fight, but mentally? You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known.” Her voice cracks with emotion, and I can see the fierce love and pride in her eyes.
“Oh my gosh,” I cry, falling into her arms again. “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Being here for me. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.”
“We know, kid. We know,” Ted says, joining in.
I will feel this hug for the rest of my life.
Amy pulls back and snatches a tissue, blotting her eyes. Ted smiles and does the same thing. Then Amy blows out a shaky breath. “We know you have a lot going on, but we’d like to have dinner with you before you leave town,” she says.
I grab her hand, still needing her touch.
“Of course. I’d love that.”
Ted bends down, planting a kiss on top of my head. “I’m proud of you.”
Overwhelmed with gratitude for this unexpected support system, there’s no way I can stop the tears. “You guys,” I cry, pulling them into another hug. “I love y’all.”
“We love you, too,” Amy cries with me.
After our emotional moment, they say goodbye with a promise to meet again before I leave. As far as when that will be, I haven’t thought about what happens tomorrow. Then Martinez grabs me to make a formal statement of everything that transpired.
Walking out of the conference room, there’s a sense of freedom buzzing throughout my veins. The finality of the previous two years is liberating, the weight of fear being released. But what’s next? I glance back into the police station.
Martinez walks up to me. “He’s waiting for you back in Detective Cates’s office,” he says.
My eyes drop to the dirt and blood covered Rolling Stones T-shirt and ripped shorts that must’ve caught on something at some point when we were running. The only thing remotely clean on me is my hand where the paramedics bandaged a shallow cut. I look like a hot mess right now. Maybe it’ll be better if I get cleaned up first.
He nudges me, reading my hesitation. “He won’t care.”
I nod, taking a deep breath before turning to walk toward the office, my heart pounding in my chest. My pace is slow and steady as I try to figure out what I’m going to say. What do I even want? Despite the distance and time, my heart still quickens whenever I’m around Paxton. But it’s not up to me now.
I had that choice a year ago, and I didn’t choose him.
I spot Paxton talking with Liam in the doorway to the office. Liam acknowledges me with a smile and a quick thumbs-up before walking away and disappearing into another office across the hallway.
“Hey,” Paxton says in his sexy, deep voice, leaning on the doorframe. He’s freshly showered in street clothes, his curls still wet. He smells like soap, and it makes me wonder if I smell like sweat and dirt. I chuckle to myself. You can take the girl out of the ground, but you can’t take the ground out of the girl. “What’s so funny?”
I match his posture on the opposite doorframe. The tips of our toes brush against each other. “Nothing. Just wishing I had taken a shower.”
“You look beautiful.”
I blush, biting the inside of my cheek as the air charges with unspoken tension. I shift on my feet and glance around the floor. I jerk my head back to him. “Where’s Riggs?”
“The vet took him. They called and confirmed that he’s in perfect health and they’re cleaning him up.” I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn’t help but wonder if Paxton had missed something. Riggs has so much damn hair. I was still worried. “How’s Ari?”
“Considering everything, she’s doing all right. She left with her parents. She’s going to take some time off.”
“How about you? When are you leaving?”
His penetrating gaze makes me fidget. “I’m going to stay for a little while. I have some unfinished business.” I swallow hard. “I think.”
He lifts a brow. “You think?”
The heat from my cheeks spread. “I hope?”
My heart sinks when he drops his head. I’m too late. We said goodbye. Why should I expect him to drop everything for me because I’m here now?
“It’s okay,” I whisper, blinking back tears that are trying to form.
