Reaching Answers (Artemis University #8) - Erin R Flynn Page 0,63

did.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You don’t have to know,” Hudson comforted. “You only have to admit you love him and you want him in your life. You want him back and the rest you let him fix like I have.”

I blinked at him. Could it really be that simple?

No, because I fully expected Craftsman to realize I wasn’t worth the fight or what he wanted and walk away again. In other words, I was about to do something completely stupid and maybe overly selfish given there were millions of people counting on me to have my head on straight.

Shit.

We sat in silence as I kept eating, chilling a bit when I was finally done.

Then we headed back.

I paused at the portal, reaching my hand out to it but not activating it yet. “None of you will think any less of me for giving him a chance? I’m not a doormat for even trying to take him back?”

“No, because he’s done a lot, been there for a lot that you’ve missed when you’re in so much pain,” Darby immediately said. “You also didn’t see how much pain he was in struggling with his own demons and then when you said you were done. He tried to get you back, but everyone closed in around you. You closed yourself in like with a barrier. I tried too. You shut down and missed it.”

I nodded I heard him, several others having said the exact same to me before, and activated the portal. We went through and headed upstairs. I apologized to Izzy for messing up her hard work but she waved it off, saying others were more than willing to fill in and help her out. It wasn’t a bad idea to do that with the fairies now and again anyways.

They would need some fun to help them get over what they’d been through as well.

Craftsman wasn’t in the kitchen though, when everyone else was, clearly trying to see if I was okay without bothering me with questions. Was he trying to give me space? Did he change his mind? Had he reached his limit of my jerking him around?

If that was what I’d been doing even.

“Dr. Craftsman took a bottle of scotch from the assortment you keep in your study for the guards and went off on his own,” Irma told me gently. “I believe the library but I’m not sure. He’s still here though.” She gave me a soft smile when I stared at her. “Go after him, child. He’s convinced he won’t like your answer.”

Oh. Oh. Well… I wasn’t sure he would still but I would be dying not knowing, so no matter how spun out I was, it was time to talk to him.

I asked for a refill on the juice-tea infusion and headed out to possibly make a huge mistake. Hopefully not.

But I wasn’t an optimistic person by nature.

I tried the library first, not hearing anything and thinking Irma was wrong… Until I heard sniffling and the distinct sound of liquid being displaced when a bottle is flipped upside down.

Like when people are drinking heavily.

His hand froze in lowering the bottle and his eyes filled with more tears. “Please don’t. Please don’t say it, love. I can’t. I can’t lose you again and know I did it all to us. I can’t.”

I swallowed loudly, hating I couldn’t say what he wanted, but also unable to say what I’d come there to… Not that I was really sure what that was. Something. Some way to try and articulate what I was feeling.

After several moments of simply staring at each other, I saw his phone sticking out of his pocket and came to a decision. I moved over to him and squatted down, taking out his phone. I tapped in the unlock code and several more times until I found what I wanted.

OneRepublic’s “Let’s Hurt Tonight” came on and filled the quiet library. Never did the song touch my soul more than in that moment when the gorgeous voice sang about fighting together for what they had, not leaving until they were an us again. Tears spilled out of my already puffy eyes as I stared at him, seeing he was just as affected.

There was only one thing I could think to say when the song was over. “If you ever leave me again, there will be no third chance, no third strike for you to have with me.”

He closed his eyes and swallowed loudly before setting