Page 84 of Then Came You

I just want to go home.

As I trudge through the mud, feeling the sludge of dirt seep through the material of my now thoroughly ruined runners, I make the executive decision that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I feel him before I see him. Blade’s fingers curl around my upper arm, causing me to turn and meet his harsh gaze. “Row, where are you going?” Blade’s brash tone brushes me the wrong way. Yanking my arm away, I speed up, hoping to get far away from him.

“Hey. What the hell?” I can hear the squelching of his feet. He’s advancing on me.

Seconds later, he grabs my arm again, spinning me around so I crash into him. I’m surprised to see he tossed his clear umbrella somewhere along the way, and he looks equally as waterlogged as me. His suit clings to his muscular body, and his hair is stuck to his forehead. It's criminal that he’s a sex symbol even in the middle of a storm. I don’t miss the gawking stares from some of our volunteers.

“Blade, let’s not do this here. If it’s alright with you, I’m just going to leave.” I give him no more and no less.

“Absolutely not. We’re supposed to do something pretty damn important tomorrow, remember?”

“Yeah, about that... I think we should pause.” I sigh, defeated, knowing I’m about to get ambushed with a barrage of questions.

“Tink, what the hell is going on? You’re not making any sense.” He pulls my arm along so we’re away from curious eyes.

Instead of going into the tent like I want, we end up hidden near the main stage. Propping me up so I’m sitting on the edge, Blade moves between my legs and folds his arms across his chest. He’s less than impressed. His steely eyes bore into me, making me shrink even more into myself.

“Start talking now, baby girl.” His stance screams dictator, but his tone is soft and loving. It’s what breaks the dam. My head collapses into my hands, and thick sobs fall from my mouth.

Every feeling I’ve ever had wells up inside me and is escaping. I’ve startled him into action because his arms circle me into a possessive hug.

By now, any remaining makeup that wasn’t washed off by the rain is certainly gone from my tears. “Talk to me, Tink. Put all your problems on me, so you have no worries, no fears, no pain, nothing except my love.”

He kisses the back of my head in a comforting way, giving me the silence and space, I need to collect my thoughts.

“Tori’s really sick, and I don’t think she’s going to make it. She thinks she’s nearing the end.” I sniffle, wiping my nose on my wet sleeve. “And seeing you with your family just now made me feel like an outsider. I’m cold. I’m tired. I’m hungry, and I just want to go home.”

Saying everything out loud for the first time doesn't make me feel any better. In fact, I feel worse. It’s a reality check I didn’t need.

Lifting my chin, Blade’s tongue invades mine. Our mouths clash in a fiery, hedonistic way. It’s his way of taming my inner thoughts and re-centering me. Both his hands palm my face, holding me in place. When the air has well and truly been sucked out of my lungs, he pulls back.

“Row, you belong to me. You fit with me. If you’re on the outside, then I’m right there with you, baby, because wherever you are is where I want to be.” He gets it. He gets me. He knows what I need. I stare up at him in awe. “Together, we’ll get through it all. Check in on Tori. Go back to my place. Get warm by soaking in a bubble bath, order Uber Eats and get in my bed naked. I’ll be right behind you. I’ll never let you fall, baby girl.”

He seals his lips over mine again.

He makes sense of my irrationality and deals with my inability to cope when things feel like they’re collapsing around me - and for that, I love him immeasurably.

I pull back a fraction, so my mouth is still hovering over his. “I love you, Blade.” Clutching his hands in mine, I move one underneath my shirt so he can feel how he has my whole heart.

“I love you, Row. I can’t stop loving you, and even when I think I can’t fall any more, I do. I fall in love with you deeper every day.” With his hand massaging my chest, the other goes to the back of my head to pull me in for another breathless kiss. Inescapable moans slip from my lips, the sounds too obscene for public view.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I freeze, those seven words thundering around us. I’ve known that voice for a while now, but I’ve never heard that tone. Xander. There’s so much malice and disgust, I feel ice slither through my veins.

Whipping around like he’s been shot, Blade turns to face his son. Meanwhile, I lower my head, hoping this is all a bad dream. My body freezes, as I nervously stutter out an excuse. ‘I…I…” It’s no use. The incriminating evidence is plain for all to see. We haven’t just been caught red-handed, the whole bucket of paint has been poured over us.

Another voice slices through the fog. “You’re both disgusting.” Avalon. I would kill to see Blade’s face right now so I can read what he’s feeling. I knew this was coming. It wasn’t as if I wasn’t prepared for the slaughter or slander, but a heaviness sinks low in my gut at how terrible it feels for Xander to find out like this.

Opening my eyes, I see the pain and betrayal haunting his face. The moment his gaze penetrates mine, his gait shifts from staunch to slumped. His cheeks are ruddy and even though the wind is whipping and howling around us, his breath is loud and laboured.

“What the fuck is going on here? How could you fucking do this to me?” I don’t know who he’s talking to, but it’s a pretty good assumption to say both. His eyes dart back and forth. His tone is wrathful, the words coming out coarse.

“Son…” Blade starts as if he’s approaching a skittish bambi, but he’s abruptly cut off by an irate Xan.

A landslide of guilt overwhelms me. What have we done?

He’s vibrating with anger, his stance straightening. From where I’m sitting, he almost looks taller. I’ve never seen him like this.

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