Page 22 of Fighting for the Forbidden
I know she’s right, but the desire to run right now is so strong. Dragging in a deep breath, I prepare to turn around and see him. I keep my eyes on the floor, afraid of what’ll happen if I look at him. I can only imagine the state he’s in and how he’s managed to get here.
When he was lying in that hospital bed, I prayed that I’d see him up on his feet again, but right now, I hate myself a little for wanting him to be incapable of chasing me.
“Please, don’t leave me.” My heart hammers against my chest. The attendant next to me gasps, along with a couple of the other passengers waiting to board.
“I’m just going for a few days. I’m not…” I trail off, not really wanting to explain in front of an audience.
“Look at me, Lauren.”
My heart continues to pound, and the only sound I can hear is the blood whooshing past my ears. My hands tremble as I fight to keep my eyes from him, but after a few seconds, my need and concern for him gets too much. I drag my eyes up his ripped jeans, over one tattooed arm that’s wrapped around his ribs and then the other that’s covered in a pristine white cast. His shoulders are slumped, like it’s a real effort to keep himself upright. But it’s when I get to his face that tears start to burn my eyes and my fingers twitch to reach for him. His usual tanned skin is pale and grey, his eyes are dark, and the bruising down the side of his face is purple and angry.
Our eyes hold and our stare continues for the longest time. I can practically hear his voice begging me to give him a chance to just hear whatever it is he’s made all this effort to say.
Eventually, he moves and closes the distance between us. The pain in doing so is clear in his eyes, but I’m frozen to the spot, unable to help in any way.
The stares of the others around us make my skin tingle. We really should be doing this in private, but I’m also aware of what happens the moment we’re alone together—although his broken body might be enough to put paid to that right now.
I flinch when his warm palm covers my cheek. He steps right up to me until our foreheads are pressed together.
“Please don’t go,” he whispers, his eyes pleading with me. “I need you.”
His words are like a baseball bat to my chest, and I fight to drag air into my lungs.
“Ben,” I breathe, “I can’t—”
“You can,” he argues. “You can, and you know it. You know this is where you should be.” I bite down on my bottom lip, knowing he doesn’t mean this country or even this city, but in his arms.
I lose track of time as we stand connected, my body trembling as I try to decide the right thing to do.
This is the final call for passengers travelling to Rome on flight BA439. Please make your way to the gate immediately.
“I’m sorry, but are you getting on the plane?” one of the attendants at the desk asks, dragging my focus away from Ben.
“Uh…”
“You two go. You’ve got a ticket, right?” Danni asks Ben.
“Yeah,” he responds, not taking his eyes from mine. “Up for it?”
Realisation of what Danni’s just suggested has me pulling back from Ben to look at her. “But you’ve planned everything.”
“I think you two spending some time together and sorting this shit out is more important than my itinerary, don’t you think?”
“I—”
“I’m sorry, but if you’re boarding, you really need to move,” the attendant presses.
“Come on.” Ben threads his fingers through mine and pulls me towards the tunnel I was so desperate to go down only moments ago.
I look back at Danni, who has a wide smile on her face. “Are you sure?” I ask, hating the idea of leaving her here.
“Of course. You two go. Just promise me you won’t spend the whole time arguing and that you’ll tell him the truth.”
I know her words have Ben turning to look at me. My skin tingles with awareness, but I can’t look at him. I daren’t.
“Lauren?” he asks, prompting me to move.
“Okay,” I say, but I’m not sure if it’s for him or Danni. I guess it doesn’t really matter because, in seconds, Ben moves and pulls me towards the aeroplane, albeit slowly.
