Page 47 (2/2)

"Did you hear me, Sara?"

He seems to have mistaken my silence for hesitation, but when he forces hi, and I start to shake my head "Raaf, no—-"

But he appears toI know he's hauledaround e

"You don't have to say the words back," he says raggedly "Just come back toto earn your forgiveness and gain back your trust Please just cole, and I keep struggling until his arms reluctantly fall back to his side

I lean back to look into his eyes, and everything I need to know is still in his gaze

"I really do scare you, don't I? In fact, I scare you soyourself it's better to let o than see me leave"

"Yes" He sounds sick as he grits the word out, al himself than say it

"But what if I do leave? What then? Will you give ain?"

Raaf's face turns ashen "I want to, butI can't pro I knoon't—-"

"Exactly"

He looks at me, stunned "Gerard used that word, too"

"Because great minds think alike," I tease him with a teary smile, "and you're the lone ho still hasn't smartened up" I clasp his cheeks and look into his blue, blue eyes so that he can't everbut the truth "You love o of me If I try to leave you, you've also admitted that you won't be able to help it, and you'll just keep abducting me If that's the case—-"

I pause for a ument, which is

"What if I tell you I love you, too, and that I was hoping you would never stop abducting me, every time I try to run away? What if I tell you that there'd always be a part of me that would remain as your captive, and I'd alant a part of you to stay as my captor?"

Raaf sucks his breath in, and hearing it tell me that finally, oh God, finally

"What then?"

"Then I'd have nothing to be scared of"

I throw h "Exactly"

There's a slight pause on his end, and then Raafword"

The Epilogue

Teeks later

I'm not sure what shocks (and worries as for the weekend or that we're doing so by private jet

The past teeks have been eventful (understate back on everything's that happened as the pilot tells us we've been cleared for takeoff