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"Where’s Cathy?" I should have asked before now One hed "She had gone downstairs to grab a friend and Becca had followed her Neither of theht you’d leave the VIP room"

"I’m not mad I was just worried"

"You’re worried about theo back to a club I’ve never seen her so upset"

"I’m sorry" My voice was so hoarse I had to clear ain "I’ wrong" He nuzzled runted a short laugh "That’s et to my dad" I squeezed the hand of the arht I’d cried all ain "I left hi"

"You’ll come withanywhere without o some places without me" He chuckled "I’ain

"I have soed me from his arm and walked across his bedroo "I was going to bring it to you this weekend but couldn’t get away like I’d intended" He placed the package on the bed next to ?" I shifted so I could reach the strings and tugged it open Under the brown paper was the sketch I had waited so long to see Tears filled my eyes and I took a deep breath "It’s me"

He reached out and tucked some hair behind my ear "It’s okay if you don’t like it I’ the handcrafted fraant; he had captured ot out of the car at the airport"

"There was soon in your eyes You were scared and sad, but there was deter else" He liftedin his eyes "That was theand beautiful"

"I’ain His words made ht have worked out really differently"

He took the framed picture from my hands and set it next to the bed "I understood I didn’t like it, but I understood" He snuggled closer "When I saw you covered in blood…"

"I didn’t ry in my life" He pressed his face in my hair and took a deep breath "I don’t want to lose you and I just knew this was the end I wanted to kill all those people standing there and taking your picture while you bled"

"I don’t want to lose you, either" Tears sprang to my eyes "I lose everyone"

"Is that why you were so stubborn?" He rolled ently so he could see my face