Page 129 of Fly Back to Me
My vision hazes, the glimmer of the stars blending above his gorgeous face. Framing a halo around my guardian angel.
“After all this time, there’s one thing I never said to you,” I whisper.
Peeling his hand off his chest, I lightly press my lips to his coarse knuckles before cradling my cheek with them. Tears lodge in the crooks of my eyes, a downpour of relief cascading inside me when I hold the eyes of the man on the other side of my letter.
All those months ago, when I thoughtthismoment would never come.
“Thank you.”
He struggles through a swallow, and a single tear plunges down my cheek.
“I’m sorry,” I breathe, wagging my head. “That’s the first thing I should’ve told you. I never want you to think I—”
My words evaporate when Cade’s arms scoop under my own just as mine snake around his neck. His palms are splayed on my back, our bodies molding together as I press the toes of my boots into the ground.
We hug each other so tight, it’s impossible for me to inhale my next breath. The only sound vibrating through the air is oursighs of gratitude.
Relief.
Both of us chanting the same words in our minds.
I finally found you.
“Don’t ever thank me, Olivia.” His lips rest at the side of my head, tickling my ear. “Thanking me implies that this life is honorable enough if I did nothing. You might as well cut my heart out if that’s the case. Because there isn’t a world I want to breathe in where the idea of protecting you is optional.”
My eyes swell, chin resting on Cade’s leather-clad shoulder. His woody scent invades me, and I just nod.
We pull away, his palm traveling to nestle my cheek. “I ask myself all the time, what would have happened if it was a cut somewhere else? Somewhere more fatal?” he breathes.
I shake my head, eyes falling at the hideous thought. But he props his fingers under my chin.
“The truth is, I would have taken any wound for you. Even if it meant something much worse for me.”
My head wiggles profusely. “No. I won’t let you leave me.” I curl my fingers into the black shirt under his coat, digging them into the fabric until I pull his forehead to mine. “You’re not going anywhere,” I whisper. “Not if I have anything to do with it.”
“You drive a tough bargain,” he murmurs.
I smile, yanking on his shirt. “Come on.”
I don’t wait for Cade to respond, leading us to the guardrail of the overlook. Snuggling his arms in front of me, his hard chest glues to my back as we close the distance to the edge.
“I didn’t fall in love with you before meeting you. I leapt into it.” His chin plants on my shoulder, the stars radiating across the canopy above us, and my hands curl around his forearms. “It was mad, and it was crazy. All-consuming. I’ve never experienced such a high like that before.”
I swallow, only to ingest another breath.
“But the higher the jump, the longer the fall. I’ve been falling every day since I realized you werethe one.” My head shakes, eyes roaming over the dusted night sky. “You didn’t miss that part of my love, Cade. You’ve been witnessing it this whole time.”
I turn in Cade’s arms, my palms framing his stubbled face as I hold those crystal blues.
“My feelings for you aren’t fleeting. They’re everlasting. You own every single part of me. You inspire me to be a better version of myself. You challenge me. And you’re not afraid to hurt my feelings. You’re honest and brave.” My thumb strokes his scruffy jawline. “My love for you may have been lifted by your wings, but your heart carries it.”
My teeth ghost my bottom lip, and his eyes scoot back and forth between mine. I dip my head, fingers sinking into the pocket of my shacket to retrieve the anklet.
I cradle it in my palm, holding it between our snug bodies as I hear the barest exhale from Cade’s lips. “You aren’t wearing it.”
My eyes fasten on the silver piece of jewelry, thumb massaging the ridges of the cool metal that have provided me so much comfort for so long. “No,” I whisper with a shake of my head. Then I’m lifting my gaze to land on his. “I don’t need your wings.”
My body angles in his embrace. I stare out at the sparkling indigo sky as I fiddle with the stainless steel between my fingers, taking a few extra seconds before parting ways with my cherished possession. But as much as I’ve found peace in this tiny trinket, there’s nothing in this whole world that compares to the real thing.
