Page 38 of The Vigilante's Heart

“You already have.” With that I turn, grab my bags and walk out the door. I take everything with me, everything except my heart, that I leave with him. It will always belong to him.

Chapter Twenty-six

She’s back, which means she’s mine.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Bennett

I haven’t moved; my feet are still firmly planted in the foyer, the exact same spot as when she left. When she walked out of my life. When she fucking wrecked me. Part of me can’t help but think that maybe she’s right. That maybe the right thing to do, the best thing for her, is to let her go. It’s why I let her walk out of that door, why I should stay away from her. She doesn’t need to be tainted by me, by the —NO!She’s the love of my life, my fucking soul mate, we will never be done.

The fire alarm going off in the kitchen is the only thing that makes me move. I probably would have stayed where I was for hours if notfor the dinner I was cooking for us both burning. While I’m cleaning up the burnt remains of dinner I think about how I can make this work. I can’t tell her, I still can’t do that, but I need to come up with something that I can do, something I can give her. Compromise, I’ll do what she said and compromise.

***

“Christ, you look like shit,” Tony mutters as he walks through my office door the next morning. “I thought you went to your parents? Have you been here all night?”

“Yes, I went to my parents. Yes, I’ve been here all night.” It was that or go stir crazy in the house I think of as ours, every room reminded me of her, of a moment we shared. I can’t be there, not without her.

“What did you need?” I ask Tony who is now standing the other side of my desk.

“Just a few things to hand over.” We talk for the next few minutes while he updates me on what I missed and anything that needs flagging for my action. He stops at the door before he exits my office. “You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.” He’s still lingering. “What is it, Tony? Spit it out.”

“I’ve known you a long time now, boss. You’ve always been the same, day in, day out. I always know what I’m getting from you; apart from the last couple of weeks. The last couple of weeks you’ve been different, you’ve taken time off, you’ve been — dare I say it — happy.But today you’re back to how I’ve always known you. So, what’s happened?”

“What’s happened is that I need to work out how to win my girl back.”

“Ah, yep, that’ll do it. I’ll leave you to it then, boss; but for the record, she’s lucky to have you. Let me know if I can help,” he adds as he walks out my door. He’s got that wrong. I was the lucky one.

***

Peyton's just left work and I’m following close behind her. It’s late and I want to make sure she gets back home okay. The threat might be gone, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry about her. I’m also staying with her tonight, she just doesn’t know it yet.

The lights come on in her bedroom and I can picture her changing and getting ready to shower. It’s the same thing every time she comes home from work — she says she likes to get the smell of the hospital off of her.Fuck, I miss her.I can’t go another night without her. I can’t function without her. Today at work, I couldn’t concentrate on a damn thing. Meetings took longer than they should, my team had to constantly repeat figures to me, I was not the boss they know me to be. I need her back.

Peyton

I wake with a start.No, no, no, not again.I collapsed into bed after my shift; the long hours of the ER mixed with the emotions of breaking up with Bennett, and I was near on catatonic when I got home. As a result I can’t remember if I fully locked the door.

“Shh,” he whispers in my ear and before I can panic a familiar scent surrounds me. “It’s just me.”

“Bennett?”

“Fuck, sweet girl, I’m sorry. I tried, I really fucking tried to stay away, but I can’t.” His lips find my neck and he places kisses along my skin. “You’d be better off without me. I’m not good for you; you should run in the opposite direction of me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Good. I’d only chase you, sweetheart. You’re mine and I’m never letting you go.”

“You still have to be honest with me though, Bennett.” He tenses behind me and I worry that my relief will be short lived.

“You mentioned compromise.”

“Yeah,” I whisper cautiously.

“I can’t tell you, but” he quickly adds before I can form any rebuttal, “if you guess right, I won’t lie to you.”