CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT #2
She needed to understand this world wasn’t a game.
It wasn’t a place you could just wander off into without consequences.
I knew what was out there. I knew the depravity better than she ever would.
The world was merciless. It didn’t care about innocence.
It didn’t care about birthdays. It took what it wanted and left you broken.
“Safety is more important than any birthday,” I said. “The world is—”
“Dangerous,” she cut in, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” Then she turned on her heel and walked to her room, shooting me a look over her shoulder. “I’ll be in my room… if you wanna apologize.”
Apologize? Like hell I would. She vanished for hours, and somehow I was the bad guy?
Something in me snapped.
I closed the distance between us in two hard steps.
“Don’t you walk away from me. We’re not done talking!” I yelled, my voice echoing down the hallway.
She stopped dead in her tracks, her whole body stiffening. Then she turned to face me, eyes burning with a fire that matched mine.
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?”
“To my woman!”
Her expression hardened. “Keep running your mouth, and you won’t have a woman!”
I stepped even closer, making her tilt her head back to keep her eyes on me.
“You can scream all you want, but you’re not pulling that shit again. Do you understand?”
Her eyes blazed with fury, and if I had to guess, she was using every bit of her self-control not to slap me in the face. And you know what? I didn’t care. She could fucking hate me. But her safety mattered more than my pride.
Michael shifted beside us, his eyes flicking between me and Sarah.
His lips parted like he wanted to say something, but for once, he stayed the hell out of it.
Didn’t matter that she was his sister. This wasn’t about him.
This was between me and her. Whatever message she was trying to send, it was meant for me. And I was the one she was gonna fight.
My breath quickened, heat crawling under my skin. I tried to pull it together, tried to cool the anger burning through me, but it was useless.
“We searched for you for hours, Sarah. Hours! Scoured the whole fucking town.” My voice came out raw, edged with something I couldn’t shake. “You disappeared without telling anyone where you were going. Do you even realize the shitstorm you caused today?”
She shrugged. “I lost track of time. I guess at this point, you’re right.”
I blinked at her, stunned. “Only at this point?”
I held her gaze, counting to ten in my head, waiting for an answer that never came. Instead, she spun on her heel, ready to walk away again.
I stepped forward and caught her elbow. “Sarah, stop. Don’t go.”
“I didn’t leave the school, but you still yelled at me.”
“Yeah, you stayed in the school. And I get it, you were mad I forgot your birthday. But you put your life at risk. You left your walkie-talkie behind on purpose, and you knew I’d lose my mind over it.”
She tried to tug her arm free, but I didn’t let go.
“Still… it’s my birthday. I didn’t want to spend it waiting around, hoping someone would remember it even mattered.” She stared at the floor, then added, “You should apologize.”
The hard edge of my frustration eased. “I can’t apologize for wanting to protect you. You’re everything to me. And the thought of losing you—” I shook my head, my grip tightening. “I can’t fucking bear it. I love you, Sarah.”
Her head snapped up, wide eyes locking onto mine. The anger drained from her face.
“You… you love me?”
I smiled, because yeah, I did. More than she could ever know.
“Yeah, I do.”
“You never said it.”
“I’m saying it now.”
I took another step closer, tucking one of her braids behind her ear.
“You love me,” she repeated, like she couldn’t quite believe it.
“How could I not love you? You love sunsets more than sunrises because, to you, endings don’t really feel like endings.
You look at the sky every night, waiting for a shooting star—not for yourself, but to make wishes for everyone else.
You love butterflies, and somehow, they love you back.
You see the world in ways I never could.
Where I see ruins, you find beauty, as if there’s nothing in this world you could ever hate.
And somehow, against all odds, you saw something in me.
You’re not just rare, Sarah. You’re impossible.
You shouldn’t even exist in a place like this.
But you do. And I still don’t know how I found you, but I’m never letting you go. ”
Her green eyes stayed locked on mine as I slid my hands around her waist, holding her close.
“You’re the light in my darkness. You’re my safe place.
My only place. Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.
And you’re mine. Just like I’m yours. I love you.
I’ve loved you since the first day I walked onto that ranch. ”
I cupped her face and pulled her in, pressing my lips to hers in a slow, deep kiss. And I’d never felt so complete.
“Cucumbers,” she murmured, breaking the kiss.
“Huh?”
“I hate cucumbers.”
I stared at her for a second, then laughed.
God, this woman is amazing.
“Good to know,” I said, my hands roaming up and down her back.
“I’m sorry I made you worry today.” Her fingers traced small circles on my flannel. “I just wanted to take a good look down there. Maybe find some chocolate.”
I shook my head, smiling.
“Okay. But no more disappearing acts. Promise me. Just tell me next time, and I’ll go with you.”
She let out the most dramatic sigh. “Fine. I’ll try.”
“So,” I said, raising a brow, “wanna explain the fake date with Nathan?”
Her grin spread. “Well… you didn’t talk to me for five days, and Nathan said it was because you liked me. He really didn’t want to get involved. Poor guy was sure you’d kill him if you found out.”
I nodded, dead serious. “He wasn’t wrong about that. I still have one week to end him.”
She gasped, smacking me lightly on the ribs, and I chuckled.
Then her expression softened, and her hand came to rest gently over the scar above my heart.
“I love you too, Outsider.”