Page 30 (2/2)

He leaned over to silence her by kissing her Then he opened his door and gently pulled her from the car

"Jace, what are we"

She broke off when her gaze lighted on the Christ rink Tears immediately filled her eyes and it made his chest squeeze painfully

"Oh, Jace"

She went silent, her eyes rapt and alight with joy She stared,out in a cloud

"I came here once," she whispered "It was my first Christmas in the city Mine and Jack’s We walked forty blocks in the rain because I just wanted to see this one tiled to breathe at the ache in her voice His hands tightened and curled into fists "How long ago was that, Bethany?"

She enty-three So young and yet she seemed years older Hardened by time With the cynicism of someone much older than her tender years He wasn’t sure he wanted to know just how long she’d been on the streets

"Four years," she murmured

He stifled the curse that blistered his lips She’d been living on the streets of New York City for four fucking years She’d been nineteen An age whenforward to the start of their lives Fresh out of high school In college Having fun Taking on the world

He wasin her life He wouldn’t allow anything else to touch her He only wanted to surround her with good things Happy o closer," she said, her voice tre with excite him forward He couldn’t help a smile at her excitement Her eyes danced and her entire face lit up just like the Christmas tree

She was so beautiful when she sut ache And every time she smiled, he was always struck by the fact that she did it so rarely It was another thing he was deterive her a reason to sh the small crowd and then stopped in a spot where they wouldn’t be elbow to elboith anyone else She stared at the tree in silence, her hand leaving his to clasp with her other in front of her

Daloves with her Her hands were cold For thatoutside She had a coat, but it was the lighter of the two he’d bought her He’d thought they’d only be going from the car to the apartment and back

But she didn’t seem to notice the cold Her focus had drifted to the ice skaters and she wore a soft smile of pleasure

Suddenly her face lifted and her lips parted in delight

"Jace, it’s snowing again!"

She held her hands up, capturing the slowly drifting flakes on her palms They melted instantly but she chased afteras they landed on her nose and cheeks and caught in her hair He was transfixed by the picture she presented So lovely she took his breath away

"Do you know, this is the first time I’ve ever been excited about snow?" she said in a wistful voice "Before, I knew if it snowed I’d be cold and wet and I’d never get warance of snowfall because I know I’ll be warm and dry afterward"

The simple words cut him to the quick It physically hurt him that she’d led such a spartan, lonely existence He didn’t kno she’d survived If he thought too long about what could have happened to her, he caerher go That she never had to go back to that life

But it wasn’t so simple, because that life had shaped her, made her into what she was today She had wounds that hadn’t healed Scars that ran soul deep Insecurities that only tihly into his arainst hi of her past circumstances than he was

"Thank you for this," she whispered "I’ll never forget tonight The tree is beautiful And that I got to see it with sooddamn care He loved her With every part of himself It was crazy Insane Lunatic, even Shit like this didn’t happen in real life You didn’t meet a woman and fall instantly and co her a little over a week

But it did and he had

Jesus

"Jace?"

Her worried voice cut through his thoughts

"Is so?"

He slid his hand over her cheek and then bent his neck to kiss her "Nothing’s wrong, baby Things couldn’t beand reflecting the glowing lights Then she leaned up on tiptoes and kissed him It was rare that she initiated any affection with him Not because she didn’t want to But she was reticent Always conscious of doing the wrong thing at the wrong time

He lived for ti the wrong thing and she just let herself go

Her lips moved warm over his, a contrast to the cold So da her so their ht as her feet dangled down his legs Resting her arms on his shoulders, she looped her hands around his nape and then kissed hiain

"This was the best Christlad"

Her expression sobered and the light died in her eyes "I’s at your sister’s"

"You didn’t ruin things, baby," he said gently "It was a lot to ask of you I should have introduced you to them separately and before I threw you to the wolves at Christ you to meet them and spend time with thehed softly over his lips "I’ not to overthink things and freak out I want to be someone you can be proud of"

At that his froas fierce and quick "I aodda about you that I’m ashamed of"

"Okay, so maybe I want to be someone I can be proud of," she whispered

He squeezed her and then slowly put her back on the ground again "One day you’ll see you like I see you, baby If it’s the last thing I do, I’ to make it happen"