Page 67 of Safer Together
“Go on,” I commanded.
“He’s dead, Angie,” falls from his mouth. I intake a sharp breath, looking into the eyes of the man I love. He is scared, wondering how I am going to react. Shock is the first emotion, shocked that he is dead; then relief hits me, he can never hurt me again; then overwhelming love. This man killed someone to protect me.
There was a side to Elliot that I haven’t seen before, and probably won’t ever see again. But knowing that it lives within my man brings comfort. I lean forward. “Thank you,” I murmur. His face morphs into relief, he leans forward, sliding from the chair until he is kneeling before me.
I cup my hands on either side of his face, brushing a stray tear from his cheek. “Thank you for loving me, Elliot. Thank you for healing me and thank you for protecting me.”
“Oh, Angie, I could say the same thing to you. Before I met you, I was just living life day to day. But ever since you ran into me downstairs in that kitchen I’ve been thinking about tomorrow, about next year, about ten years from now, all of them with you.” His hands move to my ring, “When I asked you to marry me, I wasn’t sure you would say yes, and then you did, and you made me the happiest man alive. Then we had the month apart and all I could think about was being with you again. That’s what I want Angie, for the rest of my life. You, and only you. Say you still want that. Say that nothing’s changed between us.”
His eyes beg me to feel the same way, but they don’t need to. My heart knows what it wants, and it’s Elliot, it will always be Elliot. “I want you, Elliot, you and the family we will have together, for the rest of our lives. You killed a man for me, Elliot, just so I would never have to feel scared again. There is no one else on this entire earth who I could possibly love more than you. You are my other half and I don’t think I could ever feel whole without you ever again. You are where I feel safe, something I never thought a man could provide for me. But you do”.
His smile takes my breath away. He leans in and offers his mouth to mine. I take it immediately, wrapping my arms around his neck, and we kiss until my head starts to spin.
