Chapter 35
POV: Gabrielle
As Dane slowly removed him from inside of me— the thought washed over me in an instant.
I didn’t want to be anywhere else but here…close to him.
And not because I was scared.
And not because I was brainwashed.
And not because Dane wanted me to.
But because I wanted to.
I knew that the last few weeks with Dane have been the best weeks of my life.
And it wasn’t because I never been fucked by a man like that—even though I hadn’t, not really—not that intense, and it wasn’t because I never felt loved by a man before—because I hadn’t, not like how Dane loved me.
It was because I loved Dane like he loved me.
I loved him because there was more to him than just being a mad scientist or a radical kidnapper. He was more than that.
He was kind, in ways that most people were not.
And he balanced me in ways no one had been able to. Where he was rough, I craved it—it fed the fire inside me and tamed it. Where he was intense and decisive, I was flighty and hesitant. Where I was rash and angry—he was confident and calm.
More than that—beyond the way we connected emotionally and physically—we also connected on a higher level—spiritually, because I knew—our souls were tied together, beckoning for each other—calling to each other—and I knew, our souls would wither without one another.
I could choose the easy way out—go back to my old life—go back to the dullness of it, and erase Dane’s memory all together. It would be the easy way out. It would be simpler, wouldn’t it?
But I wouldn't be happier.
Because even if I did erase him—his memory—I would never really forget him.
You couldn’t forget a love like that, not even with a mind erasing drug.
Because losing your soulmate steals something from you.
And it was something I wasn’t willing to give up.
When I turned towards him, he was pulling his boxers back up and folding his arms against his chest. His eyes softened, losing their usual sharp, calculating edge they always carried and in his hand was a syringe.
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the object.
The meaning behind it hung heavy in the air.
Loss.
“It’s time, Belle,” he said without smiling.
But I saw it all in his eyes. The pain. The hurt. The fear.
I didn’t speak.
He stepped forward, syringe in hand, and I saw it clearer now. The water within his eyes. “The tests are over now.”
Silence.
His lips parted slowly, almost as if he was reluctant to speak. “It’s time to choose now, Belle. You have to choose.”
His voice broke when he said the last word. Choose.
“But—” I began, losing the words before even saying them.
Dane stepped forward, each step weighted with something neither of us could adequately describe. Pain? Confusion? Uncertainty?
“I thought about being selfish and forcing you to stay here…but I would never, not truly,” he replied, his brow furrowing with each word. “I would never force you to stay here. It was always your choice.”
I looked down then, my gaze falling between the syringe and my own feet.
Fear welled inside of me—but something stronger did, too. Love.
The words tumbled out of my mouth, “I’m not leaving.” I drew my gaze back up to Dane’s, seeing a look of relief wash over his face.
He stepped closer, the syringe still in his hand, but this time it was shaking. “You need to say it, Gabrielle. You need to be certain this is what you want.”
I stepped forward, taking his hand in mine and squeezing it. The syringe hovered in our grasp.
“I’m sure, Dane. I’ve never been this certain of anything in my life—not like this. I want to be with you. I need to be with you. I can’t think of going back to my life…my life before I met you. And it’s weird and fucked up, and I know I should’ve tried to escape more than I did. But the truth is,
I can’t. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to escape you. And I still don’t. Because I love you and that’s the truth.”
Slowly, Danet set the syringe down onto the table and placed his hands on both sides of my face and kissed me.
I fell into his kiss, forcing myself to abandon everything—everything that I thought I had once needed and wanted—and instead chose everything right in front of me—-a life—a family—love. With him.
It turns out that the beginning of my life—the one I was always destined to live—happened because I was kidnapped.
And if I’m being truthful—I sort of always liked the handcuffs, anyways.
THE END!!!! PLEASE PLEASE WRITE A REVIEW 3