Page 33 of Promise You Forever

I stop and turn right back around. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re too smart to play dumb. I know you’re doing your damnedest to avoid spending any time with me. We have all this to figure out.” He circles his finger in the air. “What do I have to do to make this work?”

“Make what work?”

“Anything. Everything.”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. I just don’t know.

“Do I need to beg? I will. There is nothing I won’t do for you.”

He has the audacity to look irritated with me which does nothing but piss me off. The fact of the matter is that there is something he won’t do. There’s a lot of somethings.

“You know what, Luke? Sure. Crawl over to me.” I call his bluff with a raised brow.

His eyes lock on mine as he pulls his gloves off and drops them to the dirt at his feet. His hat goes next. My eyes go round as he drops to his knees. His palms hit the dirt next and all the while our gazes stayed locked.

I watch as this formidable man crawls through dirt and god knows what else toward me. He doesn’t stop until he’s right in front of me, his knees touching the toes of my boots. His hands cup the back of my thighs, moving up my denim clad legs until they land on my waist.

My feet might as well be frozen to the ground. I’m a statue of shock and surprise. It’s a heady feeling to look down at him like this. To see his eyes so full of steady certainty.

“Eli, forgiveness isn’t mine to ask for. It’s yours to give when you’re ready. Just know that I am not going anywhere. I’m going to be here with you every single day. If you ever grant me another chance, I will dedicate myself to making it up to you.”

My eyes bounce back and forth between his. I’m speechless. “I don’t know what to say.”

His fingers dig into my flesh. “You don’t have to say anything. Just let me be here for you. Let me make amends.”

Sincerity bleeds from his expression. Hope sparks to life deep inside my wounded heart. A tiny, delicate flame protected by the layers of armor I fashioned for myself over the past few years. My reckless naivety screams to jump into his arms and let him carry all my burdens.

I can’t do that though. I can’t just give him that kind of power, that kind of trust. Not when he callously threw it all away. My heart must remain protected at all costs.

“I can’t believe you actually crawled.”

“I’d crawl through flames for you. Over hot coals and broken glass. I’m going to prove to you that I am that man.”

“That man?”

He stands and looks down into my eyes. I’m hypnotized by the swirling blue depths of his. “The man you’re going to spend the rest of your life with.”

Without waiting for a reply from me, he turns around to put the halter back on Clover and picks up his gloves and hat. I watch as he leads her out into the pasture with Sky and another mare. The sound of Sam’s truck on the gravel outside the stable is the only thing that frees me from my daze.

What the fuck am I supposed to do now?

“What do you mean he crawled to you?” Amber asks incredulously.

I FaceTimed her as soon as I got back and locked myself in the den. An immediate debrief was needed because I’m spiraling. As if the moment in the motel room last week didn’t send me careening out of orbit. I’m basically floating through a different galaxy at this point.

“He was pissing me off and challenging me, so I snapped. When he asked if he had to beg, I said yeah, why don’t you go ahead and crawl to me.” I’m whispering, and I don’t know why. No one is in the house. “Never once did I think he’d actually do it.”

“Okay, so he’s obviously still in love with you.”

I shake my head. “I don’t know that he ever was.”

She looks at me skeptically. “Have you two talked about what happened between you?”

“No, and I don’t want to. What’s the point of rehashing a painful conversation at this point? It’s been three years, and we’ve both moved on.”

“Apparently you haven’t. Either of you.”

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