AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sentiments.
He helped me plant flowers from the ashes, reclaim my relationship with Momma, and not desensitize myself with her, calling herGina.
Now, tired as I was when lying down hours ago, I quietly contemplate Momma and how she was afraid to fall in love with Charles. Fear of the appeal he exuded sent her into the arms of another man—my father.
The day I first laid eyes upon Victor, the very same fear shook my body. Love is the lack of control and the submission of yourself to the will of another. It puts another’s feelings into perspective above your own.
Up until now, I thought Victor was a heartless bastard when it came to love. To be an assassin, I’m sure there’s a high level of detachment. But to know he had loved, and loved hard, that hurts like hell.
Without words, Victor’s eyes seek mine. A warm, calming blue sea intends to pull me in, engulf me, and wash over my tattered heart. His forgiveness is like drowning in a summer rain. And not love. Something comparable to love.
He says I belong to him forever. That’s a one-sided deal, ever in his favor. Yet, I will take it because I have lost this battle with fear. I have lost my mind in love with Victor.
“Victor.” I sigh. “Last night, I threatened to leave. No more. Iwill notleave you. You’ve put in too much effort to keep me. Just friggen be real with me, at the very least? And I will never leave.”
He squeezes me tightly, touching his reverent lips to my forehead. Victor’s actions say it all.
That morning, we left Arlington for a week in the Mediterranean.
Over time, I see a different side of the man I love.
The kind, tender side, which digested the pain I felt when we first met, who consumed the nightmares, and roused all the good memories.
He started from the beginning.
The hunting trips with his father.
The day he set eyes on Emeli, an oldercourageouswoman.
While his thumb brushes over the side of my breast, Victor mutters, “She was the sexy, new professor, teaching literature. I ended up in her class due to a clerical error. I was supposed to be in a business class, but I laid eyes on her.”
“Ahhh, I see. Then the royal fell to his knees.” My voice ribbons with emotion as I reminisce on how Victor kneeled before me when declaring that I just had to be his.
“Yeah,Iwas the first between the two ofuson their knees.”
I pop him softly and listen intently to how he fell in love.
Though, for every morsel of his life, I’ve flooded his ears with my younger years. Victor makes it easy to chat about thegood old days. And as we sunbathed on the main deck of his yacht, Victor and Emeli’s marriage became flesh and bone.
“Graham told you about the crash, yeah?” I nod, encouraging him to continue. “Heh, my older woman wasn’t much of a driver, but here’s something I never told a soul, although Burt, and anyone who was on staff that day, were no doubt aware. Em left.” Victor’s tone goes taut.
Instantly, it hits me like a thunderbolt.
His wifelefthim.
All this time, Victor’s only weakness has beenmeleaving like his wife had.
“She left with my son, Lux. She was angry, and I’m sure, too bloody livid to drive. I’ve held onto that for a while now. I prayed that I could go back and make it right between us.” Victor gathers my hands together. “Now, I’m pretty sure God took the day off when we crossed paths.”
I laugh softly.
“You’ve vowed not to leave.”
I nod in agreement.
“I’ve rewritten history, doled out every mistake, proffered you the same hurt. But you promised me to stay.” Reverent lips brush over my knuckles. My heart stalls in my chest, waiting for him to grant my greatest desire.
Say you love me.
