Page 38 of Broken Trust
He wanted to talk —about them, about why he left, about what they were doing now. But she was exhausted, wrung out from the interrogation and the weight of Silverton’s innocence.
This wasn’t the time.
He had so much he wanted to tell her. How leaving her was the hardest thing he’d ever done. How he thought about her every day. How being with her again felt like coming home and being torn apart all at once.
They could clear the air with one conversation, finally put everything on the table. It might not fix things, but she could begin to heal.
But not now. Not when she was barely holding herself together.
“You should rest,” he said instead.
She nodded against his shoulder, and he felt her body relax incrementally as the fight went out of her. That small surrender made his chest tight in ways he never wanted to forget.
She needed him to be strong for her right now, not to bring up his own guilt and regret.
“Will you stay?” Her voice was so quiet he almost missed the question. “Just until I fall asleep?”
“Yeah.” His voice was rough. “I’ll stay.”
Her breathing gradually evened out, her weight growing heavier against him as exhaustion finally claimed her. Mason held her while she dozed, memorizing the feeling of her in his arms, knowing that when she woke, she’d retreat behind her walls again.
They needed to have that conversation. They needed to address the anger that blazed in her eyes every time she looked at him.
Even if she didn’t trust him during her waking life, she trusted him to guard her dreams, and he wouldn’t let go of that.
He would wait as long as it took for the right moment.
But what if that moment never came?
* * * * *
Elin woke alone in her room, the late afternoon light slanting through the blinds. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep in Liam’s arms. Again.
At some point, he must have carried her to the bed and tucked her in. She couldn’t fathom being so exhausted she didn’t even wake up.
She looked at the floor where they’d sat together, with his arm around her and her head on his shoulder. Somehow it always felt like the perfect pillow even though it was chiseled muscle.
She shouldn’t have expected him to stay—shouldn’t have wanted him to—but the hollow feeling in her chest said otherwise.
She pushed herself up, her shoulders protesting her hunched position over the past few days. What she needed was a hot shower to ease her muscles.
She headed to the adjoining bathroom, still shocked every time she walked in by how elaborate the space was. The high ceilings, brass fixtures and expensive wallpaper belonged in a luxury hotel instead of a military base.
But the hot water worked its magic, washing away the exhaustion and emotional residue from the interrogation. By the time she stepped into the bedroom, toweling her hair dry, she felt more like herself. More capable of facing whatever came next.
A flutter of white paper near the door caught her eye. A note, slipped underneath while she was in the shower.
Her heart shot forward against her ribs. Part of her hoped it was from Liam. The other part prayed it wasn’t. She didn’t know what to do with soft words or promises of love.
Holding her breath, she bent to retrieve the note, her fingers trembling slightly as she unfolded the paper.
It wasn’t from Liam.
Feminine handwriting sprawled across the page.
Casino night tonight! Dress up if you have something fancy to wear. If not, come to my room and I’ll lend you something. I’m about your size. Don’t even think about skipping—you need this. Trust me. – Sophie
Elin released the breath she’d been holding. Casino night. It seemed surreal, taking time for entertainment when bombs were scattered across the globe, counting down to devastation.
