Page 92 of Havoc

He grins. “Want to know the truth?”

“About the tux?”

“About Sam.”

My eyebrowspinch.

“I might have gone to his house and fucked with his car. And then I might have told him in pretty clear terms that if he so much as looked at you again, I’d fuck up his face like I fucked up his engine. That’s why he didn’t show up to take you to prom.”

My eyes widen. “You didn’t.”

“He was a fucking asshole. You deserved better.” Levi tips my chin up. “When I showed up at his house, I wasn’t planning all that. I was just going to see for myself who was taking you to prom. But he was making out with some chick on his fucking doorstep, and that pissed me off. I didn’t want you dating anyone else, but if you were going to, then they sure as fuck needed to be good to you.”

“Well, that explains why Sam avoided me the rest of the school year.” I scrunch my nose. “You seriously did that?”

Levi nods. “I didn’t expect you to be so heartbroken over the dickhead. Figured I owed you a prom after ruining it.”

“I can’t decide if that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done or totally fucked up. Probably both.”

“Probably.” He grins.

“That was when I fell in love with you,” I admit, my throat tightening. “Or at least, that’s when I realized it. I’d been falling for you for some time before that. But when you showed up for me that night, it hit me. You were always there, whether I asked you to be or not. Back then and now.”

His hands slide into the sides of my hair. “I always will be, Aimee. I promise you that.”

“I know.” I press my lips together. “I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. It’s hard for me—” My voice catches, and I swallow. “I don’t know how to do any of this right. I’m not Reagan or Tempe or Luna.”

“I don’t want you to be any of them.”

“I’m broken.” My eyes burn, and I hate that I’m a raw nerve sitting on his lap, completely vulnerable. “I can’t give you the things we used to want out of life. And I’ll never be that girl who trusts easily. Even if I figure out how to completely heal from all of this. I’ll never be like I used to.”

“Aimee…” Levi wraps me in his arms. “All I ever wanted was you. All I ever wanted wasthis. The rest we’ll figureout together. I promise.”

The past fourteen years have me wanting to resist. I’ve seen too much. I’ve been through hell and back. But somehow, Levi’s arms are still my home. And he’s the only man who truly understands and accepts me.

“We’ll figure it out together.” I curl against his body, hugging him as his arms hold me firmly.

My face buries in the crook of his neck, and I close my eyes, appreciating that we managed to come full circle. Even if we aren’t who we were when we started, we’re here.

He’s my person.

Grazing my nails along the back of his neck, I trace up and down until the tension leaves his shoulders.

“You love me.” My words are as much a statement as a question.

“Always have.”

“Do you trust me?” I lift to look at him.

He nods, swallowing hard.

“Do you believe in me?”

I find myself needing the answer to that more than the others.

“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.” He rubs up my back. “I believe you can do anything.”

“Same.” A sad smile crosses my lips. “I trust you, Levi. And I believe in you. So tell me what to do. Tell me how we play this. You know how to protect your club, and you’ve been to war and back. So do it now. Send us into battle. Use me to go for the kill before anyone else gets hurt. I trust you to keep me safe, Levi. What do we need to do to end this?”