Page 103 of Stolen Fate

And I wouldn’t. That was a promise I would hold onto until my dying breath.

I held her steady on my lap as Evelyn moved her head to the side to take me in. “What are we doing?” she asked, a breathless quality in her voice.

I smiled. “I’m holding onto you and Elliot.” The two most important people in my life. And I was more than capable of holding onto them. I had long, strong arms. I could hold onto them for as long as I lived. And I would gladly do so.

“Shouldn’t we eat dinner soon?” she asked.

“Later,” I said, bending down so I could kiss her cheek. “Just let me hold onto you both a little longer, okay, Evelyn?”

And perhaps because she could hear the desperation in my voice or because she was feeling the same way I was feeling, but I felt her relax in my arms as she leaned her head back until it rested on my shoulder. My arms tightened around her, and we both sat there, not saying anything for a long while, letting Elliot carry on the conversation with his quiet chatter.

This was perfect.

And if I could, I would stay here, like this, forever.

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