Stone’s pain was raw. It filtered into Sadie and her tears fell.
“Stone…” The tears were streaming down uncontrollably.
He wanted to go to her and wrap his arms around her and soothe her. But he remained where he stood. He didn’t have that right with her anymore. She wasn’t his, he lost her.
“I’ll have your flight booked for early morning tomorrow. I can have a cab bring you to the airport,” Stone uttered as he walked toward the door. He had to get out of here, get away from her. Watching her and not being able to hold her was breaking him. He opened the door and started out but he stopped, he kept his back to Sadie. “I only wanted to give you sweet, it’s what you deserve, Sadie. I’m sorry I can’t be that man for you, sweet girl.”
Stone closed the door behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sadie stayed in the study, seated on the couch, for a long while. He couldn’t be that man he said. Up until an hour ago though, he was that man. He wanted to give her sweet, but life wasn’t sweet, not always anyway. He made the choice for her to leave. He didn’t give it to her. There wasn’t a reason to sit there and wonder if she could live her life with a man who basically played the angel of death. That choice was made by Stone not her. She could live with this.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she let her head drop into her hands. She had lost him again.
She thought of the question Stone had asked her. “What would you do with the man that killed your little girl?”
What would I do?
She got up from the couch and walked out to the staircase. The house was silent. The lights had all been turned off except for a dim bulb shining from the staircase. She walked up the long staircase dragging her hand across the railing. When she reached the top of the landing she looked to the end of the hall.
Sadie made her way down the hall. It was quiet, no sound coming from Bogs’ or T’s room. She stood in front of Stone’s door taking quiet breaths. She raised her hand to knock but stopped. She reached for the doorknob and found it unlocked. Sadie walked into a dark room with just a glimmer of light from the moon shining through the window. He was sitting on the edge of his bed. His pants were on but he had taken off his shirt. His head hung low and he was hunched over with his elbows resting on his legs.
Sadie closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She wasn’t sure if he heard her come in or if he even wanted her there, but she couldn’t just leave without saying it. She would always regret him not knowing how she really felt. She stepped into the room and stood in the center.
Clearing her throat got his attention and he raised his head. What she saw was a man distraught, a man that believed he’d lost her and that thought was tearing him apart. No tears. No begging her to stay. His face and his eyes told her what he was thinking—he had lost her.
“I love you,” Sadie blurted out as she stared into his eyes and watched as they widened in surprise. She gave him a sad smile and shrugged. “It’s true, I love you. It’s crazy, right? We’ve known each other for such a short time, yet, here I am professing my love to a man who is sending me away tomorrow.”
He started to speak but she raised her hand to stop him.
“Let me finish, Stone. Just…let me have my say. This time you listen.” He nodded and she took a deep breath, the tears already forming in her eyes. “I get why you want me to leave. You have all these preconceived notions on what’s best for me, and I love that you want the best for me. I really do. But who are you to decide what that is?” A tear fell as she continued. “You said you can’t be the man I deserve, but how do you know you’re not that man? I deserve someone who will love me, be honest with me, trust me, be faithful to me, and protect me. Are you telling me you can’t protect me, Stone? Because that’s exactly what you did the night Tyler came by my place. And, baby, you’ve been faithful. I know you’ve only been with me since we’ve gotten together.” She gave him a knowing brief smile. “And less than hour ago you put all your trust in me and were open and honest, more than anyone has ever been with me.”
Sighing, she walked over and stopped in front of him. He watched her. She bent down and got to her knees in front of him, taking his hands in hers. Staring at their hands as they were intertwined, peace washed over her.
“I know you don’t love me right now but maybe someday? Someday, Stone? Maybe someday what you feel for me will become love. I’m hopeful there will be a day when you feel for me as I feel for you.” She raised his hands and placed a kiss on the back of his hands.
“Babe, I do…” he whispered, but he didn’t finish because she stretched up to his lips and kissed him. A soft, full of love kiss. She hugged him close around his neck and he circled her waist, lifted her up and lay back on the bed.
“I’ll go, Stone, if that’s what you want. I’ll go, but I don’t want to,” Sadie muttered. His arms tightened on her and he flipped them over so she was now under him.
“And my job, Sadie, what about that?”
Sadie spoke honestly. “You asked me what I would do if I was a family member of the
