Page 101 of Savage Keepsakes

I should have fed her before taking her to bed. With everything spinning inside my head, I didn’t even think of it.

“Love you, Lou.”

Days pass, and although Leah seems to stay in the coma, my time is limited. After a quick trip to my apartment and filling my trunk with some clothes and old sentimental shit, I grab everything I need in my shop.

On my way out, my fears are confirmed by the cruisers I see heading down the road as I depart from the back.

Once I pull into Lucy’s driveway, I scan the area but see nothing of concern. Moving my waythrough the house, I remove almost all the security cameras. It kills me to know I won’t be able to watch her.

When I’m done, I head up the stairs and pass by her office as she types away.

“Hey, you okay?” she calls out. I only grunt in response. I can never give her what she deserves.

I grab my duffel bag and start filling it with clothes, tucking in the only printed picture of the two of us together.

Dropping it outside her office, I lean against the doorjamb. I run my hand through my hair, my gaze remaining fixed on her. Sporting a bun, she scribbles notes while toggling between various windows. I should have changed for her, or at least taken better precautions.

The darkness that engulfs my mind, my heart, and seeps into my soul will never provide her with the life she deserves.

“What’s going on, Billy?” Her voice is quiet.

“Lou, I love you so fucking much. I wanted nobody more than you.” I bow my head before looking back at her.

Nothing good ever lasts forever.

She gets out of her chair and stalks across the room to stand in front of me. “Billy, don’t do this. We can get through this together.”

“That’s just the thing, darlin’. We can’t.”

Lucy’s lip trembles, her fingers clutching the fabric of my shirt. My thumb grazes her jaw as I cradle her face in my hand, savouring the softness of her skin.

“Why?” Her voice is so small, and it breaks my heart.

“They’ve found the shop. They’re gonna put the puzzle together. No matter what I do, they’ll figure out who I really am.”

I lower my forehead to hers, and we stand connected in silence for a fraction of what I’d like.

“How could they link your business to Leah?” Lou doesn’t break eye-contact.

Throughout her entire existence, my sole intention was to avoid causing any pain. I have done everything possible to make the breaks in life a bit easier, but this isn’t something I can fix.

“She took a flyer from the barn. I don’t know how she did any of this. When I felt her neck, she had no pulse. How she climbed out, grabbed a flyer, and left without leaving a bloody trail is beyond me.”

I wrap my arm around her back, every touch trying to memorize like a prod in my brain.

“So we’ll run together. I’ll follow you anywhere. You can’t leave me, not like this. Not with our lives ahead of us. We’re planning. I have you in my life. I finally get to have the love I’ve spent my entire life looking for.”

“Lou, we can’t do that. I won’t drag you into the depths of the depravity that I’ve caused.”

As she tightens her grip on my shirt, I can feel the warmth of her touch seeping through the fabric. Tears spill from the eyes that have brought me so much love.

“Billy, I’ve loved you for so fucking long. We’re supposed to be forever and always.”

Whatever black heart beats in my chest shatters. A tear runs down my cheek as I stare at her.

“I’ve gotta go, Lou. I’ll always love you,” I whisper.

“You said we’d make it through anything.”

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