Page 43 of Crave You

“Always,” Damien says.

Shawn nods.

“Please don’t leave me,” Leona says quietly from my side.

“You’ll be safe with Lucien,” I say.

“I know. But I don’t want Lucien. I want you Zan. Please,” she says.

I feel as though I am going to explode. On the one hand, Matthew has to pay for this. But on the other hand, how can I leave Leona when she’s begging me to stay with her? I feel as if this choice is going to define who I am for the rest of my life. I suck in a breath.

“Shawn. Damien. I can rely on you guys to teach Matthew a lesson he’ll never forget, up, right?” I ask.

They both nod their heads grimly, and I feel Leona relax against me. I know I made the right decision in choosing Leona and our future together over revenge. I think this girl just might be my savior.

In this moment, I am going to let her save me. I am going to choose being with her over revenge or even murder. I have changed from knowing her. Maybe not as much as Leona thinks I have, but for now I will trust Damien and Shawn to make Matthew wish he had never been born.

But, I won’t have forgotten about this, after the dust settles and everyone else has moved on. And when Matthew least expects it, I will finish the bastard. And I will make sure he knows exactly why.

Epilogue

Leona

Twenty sheep, twenty-one sheep, twenty-two sheep….

“Ugh!” I chuck my pillow at the wall.

You would think after everything that happened, I would be fast-asleep by now, even if it is only 9 pm. And yet, here I am, my mind churning. The drive, the abduction and this strange fuzzy feeling that’s only emerged once Zander left my bedside to grab us some food.

He came through for me. But it’s not just that.

The realization twists in me, half-formed, unwanted, and yet –

What I used to want was wrong.

When I was a little girl, raised on Disney movies and fairytales, I dreamed of one day finding my prince. My equal. Over time, I’d come to expect that maybe he didn’t even exist, and yet –

Now I have something better. Zander.

Not a hero who is too busy saving the world, and not a fairy-tale prince.

Zander is closer to being a villain. The kind who would light the world on fire and watch it burn just to ensure I was okay. The kind who would never give me up, who would do just about anything for me.

I realized that today, when Zander chose me over going after Matthew.

The moment he chose to stay with me I knew it. I have never loved him more than I did in that moment.

Next thing I know is a light shake and that gruff voice. “Hey sleepy.”

Guess I did fall asleep finally after all.

I smile at Zander, a salad in hand. “Got your favorite. But you should rest.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Really.”

His gaze is unconvinced. “Fine enough to sit up?”

“Sure.” I swallow. Even after everything, I’m still nervous around him.

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