thank God,” he says with a sigh. “I really didn’t want to have to kick someone’s ass tonight. Especially Dylan. That asshole promised me he would never dream about touching you. I was only going to give him one more second before I came out here and fucked up his pretty face.”
I laugh and shake my head at him, not even caring that he just admitted he was behind Dylan being hired. My elation at his words quickly sobers.
Once again, I find myself putting my heart out there on the line for him. But right now, staring up at his handsome face, I don’t care if it’s been trampled on or if he threw it away once before. I will give it to him time and time again because it’s his. It’s been his since the first moment I saw him, but I still need more from him.
“Why are you here?” I ask him softly as our rocking stops and we just stand together, his arms tight around my waist and my hands resting on his chest.
“Well, Gwen said I needed to do something huge to get you to listen to me once I got my head out of my ass. She actually suggested I get up on stage and sing a song for you. I thought something a little more low key was more my style. Did it work?” he asks uncertainly.
“I’m listening, aren’t I?” I tell him with an encouraging smile.
He tentatively reaches his hand up and brushes my bangs that are now almost the same length as the rest of my hair off of my forehead. I close my eyes and lean into his touch, starving for it after all this time.
“I’m sorry,” he tells me quietly as I move my cheek back and forth against the palm of his hand.
I can see the sadness in his eyes as he searches my face for a sign of forgiveness, but I can’t give it to him. Not just yet. I stay quiet and let him go on as the song ends and begins softly playing again from the beginning like a soundtrack to a movie.
“What we had wasn’t just a thing. What we had was everything. I lied to you, Layla. If I could take back everything I said to you that day, I would. I would take it all back and tell you that I love you more than my own life. I would tell you that I was stupid and scared and trying to keep the people in my life safe by pushing away the one person who meant the world to me,” he admits, leaning his body closer to mine so I can feel every inch of him. “Running down into the basement that day and seeing you on the floor, tied to that pole, bleeding and struggling to breathe, almost broke me in two. I could barely do what I’d been trained for because all I could think about was how much you were hurting and how I could have prevented it if I’d just been honest. But walking out of that hospital and leaving you behind, thinking that I couldn’t have you and keep my family safe, almost killed me. I can’t live without you. I don’t want to live without you.”
With his hand softly framing my face, he leans forward until his forehead is resting against mine.
“I don’t care if we come from two different worlds or two different planets. I love you, Layla. If you let me, I will spend the rest of my life showing you just how much, every single day. Please tell me it’s not too late. Tell me I didn’t fuck everything up with you,” he begs.
Reaching both of my hands up to cup his face, I pull it up so I can look into his eyes.
“Because of you, I am stronger than I’ve ever been. Because of you, I can finally live my own life and make my own choices. You sent me that note and you gave my father back to me. You gave my life back to me. Because of you being here right now, coming here tonight, even though it took you long enough,” I tease him with a smile, “I know that I never want to be without you again.”
Brady lets out the breath he was holding and quickly closes the distance between us, his lips finally against mine after so long. I breathe him in and I savor the taste of