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My eyes drop to the nickname, my vision blurring as a smile spreads across my face.

And then my gaze moves to the computer screen.

To the websites where I researched different countries for my new beginning. And my happiness suddenly deflates like an old balloon.

With a sigh, I set the laptop on the coffee table beside the growing stack of papers I’d printed and lean into the couch cushions. “This is going to be harder than I thought.” I rub at my temple, trying to ease the headache forming behind my eyes.

“What is?”

I gasp as I sit up, my chest heaving as I spot Alex entering the room. “Oh.” I smile, relief filling me. “It’s you.” He undoes the first two buttons on his shirt and then removes his jacket. “I didn’t hear you come in. I was just—”

My words die on the tip of my tongue as my eyes narrow in on the red-stained gauze wrapped around his bicep. I stand and cross the room in seconds, my fingers curling carefully around his arm, avoiding the injury. “Alex…” I lift my eyes to his, my heart pounding painfully hard. “What happened?”

His expression remains calm. “I’m okay. It was just a graze.”

A graze.

I blink a few times, staring at the bandage. “A graze,” I repeat, anxiety swirling inside me. “Does that mean someone shot you?”

He studies me for a moment, then his eyes shift to the coffee table. “What’s all this?” Ignoring my question, he sidesteps me, and my hands fall to my sides as my throat tightens.

“Alex.”

As though he hasn’t just walked through the door bleeding from a gunshot wound, he drops onto the sofa and picks up the scattered papers. “Sweden. Switzerland. Ireland.” His gaze skims over the pages before lifting to mine. “Are these the places you’re considering?”

I nod. “Yes. I was trying to narrow down a place to call home.”

His brows furrow as he returns the papers to the exact position he’d found them in. The precision of his movements makes my stomach twist.

“Alex,” I say again, my voice wavering. “What happened?”

His jaw tightens. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“But I am worried.” The words come out fragile, as if I were afraid to admit that fact. I wrap my arms around myself and stare at the floor, biting my bottom lip, fighting the burn building behind my eyes.

Silence stretches between us.

He stands, stepping before me, his fingers slipping beneath my chin, forcing my gaze to meet his. “Why?”

“Why?” I echo, the tip of my nose stinging. Does he not feel it? That thing between us that makes butterflies swarm my stomach every time he’s standing before me. Has everything been one-sided this whole time? Did that kiss mean nothing to him? The one I find myself thinking about over and over again. I shake my head, step out of his touch, and move around him, gathering the papers. “I’m going to bed.” I clutch them against my chest and take a single step toward the stairs.

“Wait.”

I instantly freeze, my body always listening to his every word.

He steps behind me, so close I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. His proximity makes my knees weaken and my heart race. Every cell in my body feels electrified, pulsing with need.

“Why…” he says steadily. “Are you worried?”

I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath. “Because you’re all I have.” The words crack something open inside me. My head lowers, my shoulders curving in. “If something happened to you…” My voice trembles. “I don’t know what I’d do.” A sharp ache spreads through my chest, and I press my hand against it as though I can stop it.

“If something happened to me,” he begins, “my family would ensure you’re taken care of. They would follow through with the promise I made you. You don’t need to worry about that.”

I shake my head, a defeated laugh escaping me. “I don’t care about that… What I care about is…you,” I whisper. The papers slip from my fingers, and neither of us looks down as they flutter to the floor at our feet. “I’ve never had someone I could trust.” My voice is barely audible now. “Someone I could talk to. Someone who made me feel safe. Someone who made me feel seen.” My throat tightens as I turn to face him. “I know… I know I’m of no matter. I mean nothing to you…in that way.” Heat creeps up my neck. “But I can’t help but care for you.”

For a moment, neither of us speaks.

Then his hand reaches out, settling against my cheek. His thumb brushes my skin while his fingers slide along my jaw before resting around the side of my neck. “Charlotte.” His voice is rough, yet soft enough to send a shiver down my spine. “You’ve spent your entire life surrounded by monsters who convinced you that you were no one special.” His thumb glides over the frantic pulse beating beneath my skin. “But I see you.” His gaze drops to my mouth before returning to my eyes. “I see your strength.” His fingers tighten slightly against my neck. “Your kind heart. And your beauty inside and out.” The look he gives me steals the air from my lungs. “Trust me when I say this.” His voice lowers to a near whisper. “You mean everything to me.”