Page 192 of Hexed
“No, I would have. I just…I’m sad is all.” She looks up at me again, her hands gripping my forearms. “I’m so happy you’re here, though. I didn’t think you’d—” Her voice catches on the words.
My eyes flick to where she has red marks, chafed and rubbed raw around her delicate wrists, and I lean in, pressing soft kisses to each of them. “Don’t you ever, ever get yourself in a position like this again. Do you understand me? Scared me half to fucking death, thinking I lost you forever.”
“Like I did it on purpose?” she scoffs. “Besides, I thought you hated me.”
Is she about to cry?
“I don’t blame you if you do,” she continues.
My breathing is shaky as I press my forehead to hers, my fingers grasping her head so tightly, she might bruise, but I can’t make myself let go because I’m too afraid that if I do, I might lose her again. I just need to know that she’s real. Tangible.
“I’m pissed at you. I’m so fucking angry I can feel it with every breath. But…I don’t think I could ever hate you. Not when I love you so goddamn much.”
She sucks in a sharp gasp, tears welling in her eyes and dripping down her face. My thumbs catch every single one like they’re precious water from an untapped source.
“You’re crying,” I murmur.
“Seems you bring it out in me.” She sniffs. “I don’t deserve your love, Enzo. I should have told you, and I…”
“Baby. I just killed your best friend. Maybe we can call it even for now. We’ll deal with working through the rest later. Day by day, okay?”
She swipes at the tears rolling down her cheeks and nods. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
She gives me a small grin. “We’ll do the adult thing and talk or whatever.”
I smirk at her, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers, solace filling me because even though we’re far from perfect right now, we’re still here, together.
And there’s hope on the horizon.
“Enzo?” she murmurs against my lips. “I’m in love with you too, you know?”
My heart skips. “You are?”
She presses her lips to mine again, and I take the opportunity, tangling our tongues and groaning into her mouth, moving one hand to the small of her back and pulling her into me.
I know she’s grieving, and so am I, honestly, but right now, I just need to feel her here with me.
There’s nothing like death to make you want to live.
“I’m not sorry for killing your friend,” I whisper, dragging my fingers down her face, then reaching in my pocket and pulling out her necklace. Slowly, I place it back around her neck, latching it and then pressing a kiss to the seashell. “But I’m sorry that it hurts you.”
She swallows, glancing at his body and then back at me. “Yeah. Me too.”
Venesa slips off the metal table and walks over to her saltwater aquarium, squatting until she finds what she’s looking for. She taps the glass and mumbles words too low for me to hear.
It’s oddly endearing to watch her in her element, speaking to her pets.
“So now what?” I ask after giving her time with them.
She spins around and looks at me, fierce determination flashing through her beautiful dark gaze.
“Now we clean up the mess here and then take back what’s mine.”
FIFTY-TWO
VENESA
