Page 80 of Endurance
I watch them in amazement. Hayden almost lost everything tonight, yet I’ve never seen him look happier or more proud. He’s suffered great loss before. His grief over his sister’s death almost killed him, yet here he is, taking risks, because the reward of the climb surpasses the risk of the fall.
And it always will.
As soon as we’re out of the hospital, I turn to Booker. “I need to take the truck.”
He frowns and nods at me. “Okay, I can ride home with Dad. Everything all right?”
Camden and Indie walk up on our conversation as he asks. I glance at Indie and reply, “I hope so.”
Indie fishes into her purse and hands me her keys. “For the flat, although”—she pauses and looks at her watch—“she might not be home yet.”
My brows knit. “Why wouldn’t she be home?”
Indie looks uncomfortable. “She might have walked home.”
“Walked?” I exclaim. “At this time of night?”
She cringes and shrugs. “Yeah, it’s about a twenty minute stretch. She walked it all the time when we worked here.”
Camden scoffs Indie’s name, but I don’t stay to listen to them quarrel. I’m already jogging for the truck. I was desperate to see Belle before. Now, thinking of her out here by herself makes me vibrate with urgency.
I drive down the road I think she would have taken. It’s a relatively straight shot to her building from here and the area doesn’t look too dangerous, but I’m still not comforted. My eyes swerve everywhere the entire trip, searching for her and regretting that I let her leave at all.
When I see someone wearing a bright green shirt walking in a dark corner off in the distance, I exhale in relief. I punch the gas and turn onto the road she’s preparing to cross, forcing her to jump back from the curb. I park with a hefty screech of the tyres and fly out of the vehicle, not even bothering to close the door as I march straight toward her.
“Are you bloody kidding me, Ryan?” I growl. “It’s after midnight and you decide to walk your arse home? Do you not have any sense?”
Her dark eyes shift from shock to annoyance. “I’ve walked this road a million times. I worked at that hospital for years, Tanner.”
“Oh, so you’re psychic now? You can predict whether a rapist is going to come driving down this road or not?”
“Maybe I am psychic!” she snaps. “You don’t know me.”
“The fuck I don’t,” I roar, my voice reaching high octaves that probably make the residents wonder ifI’ma rapist.
When she moves to turn away from me, the yellow streetlight catches her face, illuminating her features more clearly. Her eyes are puffy and her skin is blotchy.
“Have you been crying?” I ask, circling around her to see her face.
She continues avoiding my gaze. “No, all right. Just…leave it, Tanner.”
“I will not bloody leave it, and I will not leave you. We’re following a pattern here, Belle. Don’t you see it?”
She scoffs, “What are you going on about?”
“Fighting and making up. Fighting and making up. You flip out on me, I chase after you. I hurt you, you make me pay for it. And I’m okay with it. I’ll endure these ups and downs with you. But eventually, you’re going to have to stop thinking it’s the end every time we fight.”
“Well, maybe you should just end it and save us both such an emotional rollercoaster!” she retorts.
“I like the ride!” I explode, shoving a hand through my hair. “I like that frightening twinkle you get in your eyes when you go off the rails.”
“Christ, I can’t understand why. I’m a fucking mess,” she dejects.
“So your crazy is showing. Who gives a fuck!” I bark, grabbing the crook of her arm to twist her until she has to look into my eyes. “It’s not scaring me off, Belle. Don’t you see? It’s pulling me in. It’s wrapping it’s way around me and binding me to you in a way that makes me want to protect you…indefinitely.”
I pause, shocking myself with the last word and how right it feels falling out of my mouth. It’s like the words I just spoke open some vault deep inside me because I’m suddenly seeing everything so much clearer.
Belle looks at my face like she’s seeing something brand new. Like she’s seeing and feeling the shift. Her voice is quiet when she asks, “Why do you want me? Seriously, Tanner. You’re going to want someone better than me. You will. I know it.”
