11. Hellie
HELLIE
I ’m not going to look. I’m not. He’s sacrificing a chance of us for me.
His friend is just as dangerous as him, just as good looking and he leaves me cold.
What I want, what I ache for is a future. One with Cal, as crazy as it seems, but?—
The car door opens and my heart starts to beat hard and fast as he gets in next to me, the warm hint of clove and bergamot soothing my skin.
“You know, Hellie,” Cal says. “Somewhere between the moment you walked into the room and our eyes met I think I might have fallen in love with you.”
“Me, too,” I whisper. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”
We look at each other and that heat and bone deep truth of the connection, of love, blooms.
“You’d be smarter to go with Mercer. He’d make sure you’re never found. If we go together, they’ll look for you and me, not just you.”
“I still choose you, for however long it might be. You.”
Cal leans over and kisses me. “Happy for now?”
“Happy for now,” I say. “Because this ‘now’ might lead into a whole lot of other ‘nows.’ That’s better than forever in hell, which is my alternative.”
“Such sass.” Cal snickers. “I love you, Hellie.”
I smile.
Our “now” just might last a lifetime.
And there’s no place I’d rather be.