Chapter 216: Forgiven, But Not Forgotten

His words were like a bucket of iced cold water being poured onto me. My head snapped up as I looked at him, my eyes wide, my mouth open.  He gave me a sad smile in return. "You didn't realize that, did you?" He seemed almost heartbroken as he said it.

I shook my head even as the first staple went into my back. No one had ever said something like that to me, not once. He chuckled as he dragged his index finger down my jawline and curled it under my chin. Gently bringing up my head so he could look at me eye to eye, I didn't notice the second clicking of the gun.

"You are not alone anymore. You don't have to become strong on your own. We are here, and we are a team. When you are not able to be strong, we will be. When you can't take another step forward, we will pick you up and carry you until you can. We are your sword and your shield against the world." He gently kissed me on my lips as a third staple closed another section of a gap.