Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,117

to keep her. Because in my eyes, she was finally mine. It was that moment I promised whoever was listening upstairs, I’d protect and treasure her for the rest of my life.”

As the words left my lips, the knowledge that I hadn’t protected her crushed me. I scrubbed away my tears, closing my eyes to regain my composure in case someone walked in.

“I love you, too,” a soft voice whispered.

My eyes snapped open, but Alex’s remained closed. I looked over my shoulder at the empty doorway.

I knew wanting something to happen badly enough could make you believe it happened. But that wasn’t it. I knew what I heard. I’d know that voice anywhere.

“Alex?” I leaned in, careful not to get too close for fear of startling her if she opened her eyes.

I watched her swollen lips move. “You saved me, Hayden.”

A cross between a gasp and a sob broke from my lips. I missed her so damn much. I wanted to spread kisses all over her beautiful face. But I couldn’t risk hurting her with so many broken bones healing underneath her bruises. Instead I lifted her hand already in mine and kissed it over and over again.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

My tears were a God damn waterfall spilling everywhere.

“I knew you’d come for me.”

I closed my eyes, unable to believe she’d finally woken up and she didn’t hate me. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

“Do not blame yourself.” As weak as she was, she was determined to speak her mind. “This is not your fault.”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do much of anything but wipe at the tears falling down my cheeks.

Alex’s head fell to the side. Her eyes cracked open enough so she could see me. “You did not do this.”

I nodded, knowing she truly believed that. “I’m gonna spend the rest of my life making it up to you.”

I could’ve sworn her lips twitched. “Promise?”

EPILOGUE

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

ALEX

“You got everything?” Hayden asked.

I looked around the empty purple bedroom. It took me less than a day to pack everything. I picked up the only remaining evidence I ever lived there. The latest framed picture of Hayden and me on my nightstand.

Our squished faces usually made it difficult to see where his face stopped and mine began, but not in this one. Hayden sported facial hair and I wore my graduation cap. Hayden didn’t get to wear one yet. He had a few more credits to earn. Sophia had taken the picture on the quad after I crossed the stage, and our wide smiles matched.

Hayden’s strong arms slipped around my waist from behind. His chin rested on my shoulder. “I love this picture.”

I twisted my head so I could see him. This guy I’d grown to love more and more every day. And not just because he saved me. Because I knew I saved him as well. “You say that about every picture of us.”

Hayden spun me around until I could do nothing but look up into his amazing blue eyes, the ones that knocked me off balance the first day I looked into them. The ones that held my future. “That’s because you’re in them.”

I rolled my eyes as I tossed the picture onto the bed and linked my arms around his neck. “You know, you don’t have to keep working so hard to get me. I’m already yours.”

He lowered his lips to mine, his soft and tender kiss forcing me to feel his love. I wished he got the memo. Everything he did, day after day, accomplished that already. He pulled away, his eyes locked on mine. “I need to keep it that way.”

“You do realize I’m going to be your boss, right? I’m going to get to tell you what to do, whenever I feel the urge.”

His dimples sank in, framing a full-blown smile. “I’m counting on it.”

I leaned in and kissed the smile right off his lips. “Can we stop by to see your mom before we leave?”

His eyes softened. “Yeah. She’d hate it if I took you hours away without a goodbye.”

“She does love me, doesn’t she?”

“It’s all those damn flowers you bring her.”

I smiled, but deep inside I couldn’t curb my apprehension. He was taking a giant risk uprooting his whole life for me. This was his home. The only place he called his own after everything he’d endured. “You sure this is what you want?”

He tightened his arms, and I could feel his heart deep and steady against my chest. “I would follow you to the ends of the earth if it meant we’d be together.”

A smile slid across my lips. “Hayden Martin, corny? No one would believe it.”

“Who cares what anyone else thinks? I only care what you think.”

“How long do we have?”

“Forever.”

I smiled up at him, knowing that was the truth.

Since saving me from Remy, he said things like that all the time. That whole experience changed him. It changed us both. We were open and honest with each other. And it worked. We worked. We weren’t perfect, and we accepted that.

Hayden lowered his voice to that husky tenor I got when I woke up next to him. “My life began when I met you. What happened before is a memory. Something that’ll never happen again.”

“Better not,” I teased.

“This.” He nodded between us. “Me and you and this adventure we’re about to embark on. This is my reality. And, from where I stand, it’s a pretty amazing reality.”

I couldn’t resist. I was a sucker for romantic declarations. I jumped up so he had to catch me and wrapped my legs around his hips. “I love you, Hayden. I love you so much it seeps right down to my bones.”

Hayden’s head recoiled. “You heard me?”

I couldn’t be positive I’d heard everything he uttered at my bedside in the hospital, but I heard enough. I pressed my lips to his. This time it was me who took it soft and gentle so he knew just how true my words were and how deep my love ran.

I pulled back and nuzzled my nose to his. “Now I just can’t wait for the proposal. It better be freaking amazing.”

“Not mediocre?”

“With you?” I shook my head. “Never again.”

THE END

Acknowledgements

Thank you, wonderful readers, for taking a chance on my debut novel. I cannot express my gratitude for you taking the time to read my story when there are so many amazing novels out there. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Alex and Hayden as much as I enjoyed writing about them.

Thank you to my parents for instilling in me both a love of storytelling and the notion that anything is possible. To Heather and Kim for loving all the same teeny-bopper television shows and sappy romance movies I love. And to my husband and son for putting up with my laptop and iPad in front of me at all times. I really am listening when you’re talking. I swear!

Thank you to the wonderful Stephanie Elliot for editing my first draft. Not only did you motivate me to actually put it out there, but you also gave me so many great suggestions to help make it the best it could be. Thank you for helping me throughout this journey!

Lastly, thank you to LJ at Mayhem Cover Creations for your beautiful cover. It really captured the tortured essence of the story and the will/they won’t/they feeling between Alex and Hayden.

If you’d like to get in touch with me or learn more about me, check out my website jnathan.net or my Goodreads page goodreads/jnathan. I look forward to hearing from you!