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I place my palm over her heart, then pull her hand tosure she’s completely in thisthat matters to me with you are the forevers"

She releases a breath of relief, then corab her head and lower her back onto the bed, cliainst her lips "I’ve loved you for so long but I just couldn’t tell you It didn’t feel right letting you loveso ain, but she’s also s "I don’t think you could have picked a better tiht I’m happy you waited"

I dip my head and kiss her I kiss her like she deserves to be kissed I hold her like she deserves to be held And I’m about to make love to her like she deserves to be loved I untie the robe she’s wearing and slide my hand across her stomach "God, I love you," I say to her My hand h I can feel her tense up, so I pull back and look down at her "Re you because I love you No other reason"

She nods and closes her eyes and I recognize the nervousness seeping off her I pull her robe closed and bring my hand to her face

"Open your eyes," I say She opens the"

She just nods and sood kind of tears"

I silently watch her, gauging if we should even be doing this right noant to show her how much I love her and I want to erase what happened between us an hour ago, because it never should have happened I want to ly for her, but she deserves to see how beautiful it can be

"I want to ether "And I think you want it, too But I need you to understand so tear "I know it’s hard for you to allow yourself to feel this You’ve gone so long training yourself to block the feelings and emotions out any time someone touches you But I want you to know that what your father physically did to you isn’t what hurt you as a little girl It’s what he did to your faith in hih one of the worst things a child can go through at the hands of your herothe person you idolizedand I can’t even begin to iine what that s he did to you are in no way related to the two of us e’re together like this When I touch you, I’ you because I want toyou because you have the most incredible mouth I’ve ever seen and you know I can’t not kiss it And when Ilove to you because I’ you’ve been associating with physical touch your whole life doesn’t apply toyou because I’m in love with you and for no other reason" I kiss her softly "I love you"

She kissesme down to the bed with her We continue to kiss and she continues to allow le part of her with ainst her after putting another condo up at ht now can’t be mistaken, but I still want to hear her say it

"Tell rip aroundme hard in the eyes "I love you, Holder So much," she says firmly "And just so you knowso did Hope"

As soon as the words leave her mouth, I’m completely consumed by a sense of peace For the first time since the second she was taken froiveness feels like "I wish you could feel what that just did to me" I claim her mouth with mine at the same time she completely consumes my heart

Chapter Forty-three

When I turn my phone on, I’m flooded with texts Several from Breckin, several from my mother There are missed calls from Sky’s phone, so I can only assume they’re froh I know everyone’s just worried about us, especially Karen I’m still not sure hohat she did fits into the picture, but I find it hard to believe that what she did was done fro over I look down at her and lean forward to kiss her but she turns her face away and I kiss her cheek, instead

"Morning breath," sheoff the bed She heads for the shower and I check the tis

After I’ve got s packed, she walks out of the bathroolance at her "We can’t stay here forever, Sky We need to figure out what you want to do"

She rushes toward me "Butbut I don’t know yet I don’t even have anywhere to go"

Her voice is full of panic, so I walk to her in order to ease her o back to ure this out Besides, we’re both still in school We can’t just stop going and we definitely can’t live in a hotel forever"

"One more day," she says "Please, let’s just stay one ure this out and in order to do that, I need to go there one more ti back to that house is in any way a good idea There’s absolutely nothing she needs froain You’re not going back"

"I need to, Holder," she says pleadingly "I swear I won’t get out of the car this tio I remembered so much while I was there I just want a few more memories before you take me back and I have to decide what to do"

Jesus, she’s relentless I pace the floor, not knowing how I can get it through her head that she can’t do this

"Please," she says again

Ugh! I can’t say no to that voice

"Fine," I groan "I told you I would do whatever it was you felt you needed to do But I’ all of those clothes back up"

She laughs and rushes toher ar boyfriend in the whole orld"

I hug her back and sigh "No, I’m not I’m the most whipped boyfriend in the whole orld"