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.”Colin took the steps needed to get to her and reached out to cup her face.Amara’s breath hitched at the sudden contact.Though his hands were gentle, the way he held her face made it impossible to look away.The words that tumbled out of his mouth seemed to surprise the two of them equally, judging by the way his brown eyes widened slightly as he spoke them.“Let me help you,” he said, his voice soft, almost as if he was cajoling a child.“I want to help you, but I’m going to need you to trust me,” he said.“Why would you want to help me when you’ve been so angry about all of this?” she asked in a shaky whisper.Colin closed his eyes as he breathed out.When they opened again they were stricken with a tinge of sadness.“Oh, Mara,” he whispered, his breath fanning her face as he spoke.“Didn’t you graduate at the top of your class? For someone so book smart, you are very love stupid.”The word love made her heart swell.She could have wondered if that was his intention, but the truth was written all over his face.“I need you to trust me,” he repeated, cupping her face, still looking at her with an intensity that could burn through steel.“I don’t know if I can.”“I’m going to give you my trust, Amara.My complete trust, or as close as I can get to that, and I’m asking you to do the same.Whatever this is, you don’t have to do it alone.I know you’re scared—it isn’t like you to do any of this—I know you’re stuck and, for whatever reason, money isn’t getting you out of it, so please, let me fucking help you.”She closed her eyes and saw the memories of her life with him playing in her mind like an old movie.Them in the empty lot with the stars, in the coffee shops near school, at her uncle’s café, family barbeques, times spent in their rooms talking about nothing and everything at the same time, their late night calls, the laughs they shared, the fights, the make-up sex, the dancing, the kisses and hugs and all of the tomorrows that were once promises—all faded away so much sooner than should have been possible.Amara took a deep breath and opened her eyes to see the man she realized would do more for her than she’d ever given him credit for, and nodded.“Okay.”One simple word, but it seemed to breathe life back into Colin, and he smiled at her.“I’m going to take you somewhere we can talk about all of this.We’re going to leave our phones behind.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead and, as she watched him grab the bag, it felt like he was squeezing her own heart.“What if they call me from the hospital?”“We’ll go by the hospital first.”“I—” she began.“I’m going to help you, remember? No matter what.”“You don’t even know what you’re asking to get involved in,” she said brokenly as a tear escaped from her eyes.“Because I don’t care,” he said, brushing the tear away lightly with his thumb.“I know that it involves you, and whatever that is, it’s hurting you, and that’s all I need to know.”“You can lose Wolfe, Colin.You can lose everything,” she said in a hoarse whisper.“I don’t care anymore.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, and she believed him.“YOU CAN WAIT out here if you want,” Amara said when they reached her mom’s floor.He looked at her for a long moment, his lips parting slightly as he debated the options.“Would it be okay if I go in with you?”Growing up, Colin had always gotten along great with her mom.She’d baked him cookies and made him his favorite curry dishes.He’d loved being over at their house and her mom had loved having him there, so Amara knew she would enjoy seeing him, but still she hesitated.“She doesn’t look the way you remember her.”“So?” he asked with a frown.“I’m just warning you,” she replied with a shrug and continued to walk toward the room, greeting the nurses along the way.She laughed when all of the nurses at the station turned to checked out Colin before looking at Amara with raised, approving eyebrows.He walked by her side, his hand hovering over the small of her back before finally landing there and sliding to her hip, pulling her close.Amara looked at him in question, but he didn’t acknowledge it, only continuing to walk beside her until they reached the door, where he dropped his hand.Amara pushed the door open and took a steadying breath; preparing her heart for the shock it always was to see her mother in such terrible condition.“Hey, Mom, I brought a guest with me,” she said as she walked further in, holding the door open for Colin.“Of course, my khorshid.Who did you bring?” Anna asked, curious.Amara dropped a kiss on her mom’s cheek as Colin walked toward them.Anna gasped loudly when she saw him.“Now there’s a face I’m happy to see!” Anna said, smiling widely as she adjusted herself on the bed.“Hey, Mrs.M,” Colin said.There was no visible pity in his eyes, just slight sadness that he blinked away quickly as he hugged her.“Sit right here,” Anna said, licking her dry lips as she tapped the spot she always saved for Amara.She would have complained, jokingly, but couldn’t stop smiling at the happiness she felt at the light in her mother’s eyes.“Tell me how you’re doing.How’s Nancy holding up?”He sighed, running a hand through his wavy hair.“We’re fine—my mom’s getting by.”Amara took a seat in the chair in front of Colin, where the tips of their feet touched, and watched them as they spoke.Colin’s eyes met Amara’s as her mother talked about the oxygen tank she needed to breathe.There was so much compassion in his eyes, so much of everything she missed about being with him.She wanted to freeze time and stay in that room with them forever.“Amara tells me you’re engaged now,” Anna said nonchalantly.Amara felt her eyes go wide.It was like a punch to the gut, the mention of the engagement.“For business purposes, yeah,” he said, still looking at Amara.“You’re a good boy, Colin.Your dad was always proud of you.I hope your mom reminds you of that often.”His gaze dropped from Amara’s.In all the years they’d known each other, he was always the one to make things happen.She could count less than a handful of times in which she’d seen that particular look on his face—where the guy with the wide, wolfish smile lost his cockiness and turned into an insecure boy.Hating to see that look on his face, Amara tapped his foot with hers
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Christine Wood [Life Plan 01] A Life Plan Without You (epub)
Cheryl McIntyre [Infinitely Infinitely (epub)
Clair Delaney [Coral 01] Coral (epub)
Christine Cody [Bloodlands 01 Bloodlands (epub)
Christina Ross [Unleash Me, A Unleash Me, Vol 3 (epub)
Christine Flynn [The Hunt for Once Upon a Christmas Eve (epub
Christian Fletcher [The Left Left on the Brink (epub)
Christopher G Nuttall [Royal The Royal Sorceress (epub)
Wood Barbara Kobieta tysiąca tajemnic