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Her hand flinched inher hand back to cradle in her lap
Reaching forward, I gripped her wrists in e hands and pulled her toward me She had no choice but to drop down to ainst her shoulder She felt too fkin’ right sitting on me
“Y-y-you’re too p-pure for this life, M-Mae Y-y-you’re not s-safe D-don’t kno to b-be in all this… b-bad”
Mae said nothing for a long time, then confessed in a small voice, “I feel safe with you I do not know anyone else here on the outside and I cannot return froht slammed into her mind “Please do not take me back, please! Not to them!”
I finally glanced up and her face was broken It hurt more than the machete hit to the chest I’d taken in the Mexican war last year
Fuck!
Gripping her shaking hand, I said, “I-I-I won’t, b-b-but where, b-babe? Where c-can’t you return?”
“Where I am from,” she said evasively
“The f-fence? Wh-whatever’s b-behind that f-fence? That hat you t-talking ’bout?”
She nodded silently
I reached up and palmed her face in row to h-hate me if you st-stay”
“I believe in forgiveness I will never hate, especially not you,” she hushed out
“I-I’ll lay it on the l-line for you, b-babe I t-trade illegal weapons for c-cash and d-drink far too ularly and d-don’t co, maybe n-n-never will” I made sure I had her full attention for the last part “I-I’ve killed p-p-people I-I’ve even l-liked it, and”—I kneas bringing the final death blow—“I’ll d-do it again Y-you want so-gotta go away t-toure shit o-out”
Her breath grew faster and she gripped s, Mae stood up and I dropped my hands from her face I watched as she walked toward the door to the back stairway leading to my apartment Then she stilled and looked back at ht within you, Styx, and I feel it shining through like the rays of the ood man”
Fuck What the hell was I meant to do with that shit?
“I aht about you often, the boy behind the fence, the boy on the outside… the boy who stole htly prayed for your safety and happiness It is a ritual I will forever keep”
Mae sighed and drifted toward me, and I could see the torment she battled on her face, but at what, I didn’t fkin’ know After several seconds, she stood before me, slowly bent down, and pressed a soft as fk kiss to rateful that you saved uitar You have shown me more compassion in a matter of days than I have had my whole life”
She laughed out one single laugh, and it was the purest, most beautiful sound I’d ever heard “You will never know, but in the two darkest moments of ood and ill keep me safe, but you already have You have saved my life twice”