When Darkness Ends (Moments in Boston #3) - Marni Mann Page 0,29
try to stop and calm my feelings. I just held in the sounds and cried, forcing myself not to throw up through the gag.
“Where you’ll be spending the rest of your life.”
As those words repeated in my head, every syllable stabbed me.
Branded me.
Filled me with an unfathomable pain.
I’m going to die in here.
And with each tear that dripped, I lost a little more hope.
Twenty-One
Before
Ashe
The buzzing that came through the intercom in our apartment told me Pearl had arrived, so I slipped on my jacket and went over to the speaker.
I held down the button and said, “Hey, I’ll be right down.”
Knowing the stairs were faster than the elevator, I rushed down the flights and was walking toward the glass door when I saw her standing on the steps out front. As she glanced down the sidewalk, I took in her profile, and it was as gorgeous as looking at her straight on.
Pearl’s features weren’t like a puzzle, where the different pieces created a stunning picture. Instead, each part of her was just as beautiful, making a face that was fucking breathtaking.
I took a few more seconds to appreciate the sight of her before I opened the door. Once I got outside, I gripped her waist, and she exhaled in a gasp the moment my mouth touched hers.
“You scared me.”
I pulled away, feeling her shiver. “I didn’t mean to.”
“In a good way.” Her teeth found her lip, tugging on it. “Sometimes, Ashe, you make it hard for me to breathe.”
I leaned down for another kiss—this one deeper, where I tasted the cinnamon. “These past couple of days were a long time away from you.”
We had spoken on the phone every morning, but that wasn’t the same as holding her against my body, smelling her in the air, seeing her smile at my words.
“You have me now.” Her hands circled around my neck. “What are you going to do with me?”
I rubbed my nose against hers, the thought of her naked on my bed flashing in my mind. But a lot was going to happen tonight before we made it back here. And once we did, I wasn’t sure naked would even be on the agenda.
“Are you hungry?”
“The answer to that is almost always yes.”
I slipped her fingers between mine and brought them up to my face, where I kissed her wrist. More cinnamon teased my nose as I led her down the sidewalk and to the cross street. I hailed the vacant taxi that was approaching, and we climbed into the backseat before I gave the driver an address.
“What kind of restaurant are we going to?”
I smiled. “One that’s a surprise.” I put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her next to me. With my lips pressed against her cheek, I watched her stare through the window, the expression on her face as though she were seeing the city for the first time.
Maybe that was the case.
But I wanted to believe it was the happiness she was feeling that was putting that look in her eyes.
As the driver maneuvered through the traffic, I checked my watch. Every detail about tonight mattered, each part needing to mesh in order for it to come together the way I wanted. The good thing was, we arrived on time, and confusion filled Pearl’s eyes as we pulled up to the residential building.
I handed the driver enough cash to cover the fare and tip, and I led Pearl to the entrance. A friend of Dylan’s was waiting by the door for us. I thanked him as he opened it, and I brought her to the elevator, pushing one of the buttons once we were inside.
“Who was that guy, and where are we going?”
I squeezed her fingers. “That was a family friend of Dylan’s. As for the rest, you’re going to find out soon.”
Once we reached the highest floor, I took her down the hallway and into a stairwell, climbing a short flight. At the top was a locked door that I’d propped open when I was here earlier, and fortunately, no one had closed it while I was gone.
“What is this …” Her voice drifted off as I took her onto the roof and she realized what she was looking at. Her free hand flew over her mouth, her eyes wide and a little watery. “Oh my God, Ashe.” She slowly took in the entire space, her stare eventually returning to me. “I don’t even know what to say.”