Chapter 42: Chapter 41

Summer

He strode forward two steps and stopped, still several paces away, as if remembering why he'd left me alone and forcing himself to stay back. His mouth firmed into a thin line, eyes darting back and forth between mine.

The night sky let out a flash of lightning and he broke the connection to look up.

"You left me." Dropping his gaze back to me, the tortured, wrecked pain there told me how much it had cost him to do that, to walk away from me. "Thank you."

His lips parted, eyebrows furrowed. Raindrops poured off his dark hair and over his face. He was the most glorious thing I'd ever laid eyes on. The muscled contours of his body were wrought tight with tension, his eyes pleading.

I nodded to his silent question. "Thank you. I know how much it killed you to leave me, but you did. You trusted that I'd still be here when you came back." I pressed my hand to my heart. "I love you."

He seemed to stop breathing. "How can you be sure?"

I shook my head, not understanding.