Page 112 of Before Dawn

“I will.” Her gaze lingered before she slipped into the night.

Back on the couch, phone in hand, I waited. The moment her message came through, relief settled over me, and finally, I let sleep take me.

Warning

The following chapter contains heavy mentions of mental health/physical health issues. Please refer to the content warning list to be reminded of any potential triggers. Your well-being is important to me, so please take care of yourself while reading.

Chapter Twenty-four

Abigail-Ann

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

What would you do if I was standing outside your window with a boombox on top of my head?” Mikkel’s voice crackled through the phone, and his question sparked a deep, unexpected, and genuine laugh from me.

I missed him more than words could express. His name and face were everywhere in the media, and I found myself hooked on his interviews, hanging on every word. But with him bouncing between New York, Seattle and Chicago for weeks, we hadn’t seen much of each other outside of FaceTime.

To fill the time, aside from work and therapy, I’d been having Netflix parties with my sister and using Duolingo every day. My goal? To understand Mikkel better without needing to run to Google translate.Progress was slow, and the owl was relentless, but I was determined.

Snapping back to the present, I realized I was smiling. “I’d think you were in one of those late-eighties rom-coms,” I managed to respond.

“Go look through your window.”

I jumped up from the sofa, disbelief rushing through me. “Are you serious?”

He chuckled softly. “Get up and see, Red.”

Without another word, I crossed the room, my pulse quickening with every step. I hesitated for just a moment before opening the window and there he was with that brilliant smile, a large bouquet of primroses and those glasses that never failed to make my heart flutter.

“There’s no boombox,” he said, his eyes twinkling with that familiar spark. “But I’m hoping this bouquet works.”

Happiness, joy, elation—none of them felt big enough to capture the emotions rushing through me. From the moment our paths crossed, he had made me feel a little less broken and a lot more loved.

“You are something else,” I whispered, pressing the phone to my face.

He shook his head, that playful grin still in place. “You gonna keep me hanging down here?”

“I’ll be down in a second.” I grabbed my coat as if my life depended on it and rushed downstairs.

When I finally reached him, I teased, “What are you doing here, Mikkel Suarez?”

His eyes locked onto mine, and the world around us faded. Just us.

“Just trying to make you smile, Red.”

“Mission accomplished,” I whispered as he handed me the flowers.

Mikkel’s voice dropped, warm and sure. “I thought I’d come see my love.”

His love?

I stepped closer, the space between us shrinking with every heartbeat. “Your love?”

He didn’t hesitate. Strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me in, his familiar scent settling over me like warmth on a cold night. “Yes.” His lips brushed my ear, voice low and certain. “Mi amor.51”

“I like the sound of that.” My voice barely carried over the thudding of my heart.

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