36. Hugo
Chapter 36
Hugo
My lips hover in the space behind her ear. "Hold me to it."
She stills. "What?"
Urging her onto her back, I brace myself on a forearm so I can look down at her. Dark hair fanning my pillow. Rosy-cheeked and pink-mouthed. "Hold me to every word of it."
"Hugo..."
I hate that she doesn't believe it's possible for me to want her this badly. And Peanut, too. "My words aren't empty, Mallory. I don't say things I don't mean."
Maggie's death was a tragedy, and a second tragedy was the way Mallory was treated afterwards. Cast aside, blamed, forgotten. Grief makes people do terrible things, but it's no excuse. Only a reason.
And then there's Peanut's biological father, leaving Mallory and his child behind. I'd hate him, but the truth is, I'm thankful. His selfishness, my blessing.
"You're going to let me be there for you, ok? You're going to hold me to my words, alright?"
It's crazy, and it's fast, but it's everything I've been standing in place for. I wasn't frozen.
I was waiting. For Mallory.