The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 236

Curled into herself, Suzie cried silently, tears streaming down her face. Her lips, swollen from his kisses, trembled, but no sound came out.

A sharp pain twisted in Jamie’s gut as he watched her. He pulled her closer, holding her so tightly it was as if he could keep her from slipping away. Resting his chin on the top of her head, Jamie spoke slowly, his voice a low murmur.

“Suzie, believe it or not, I love you. Even when my heart is in agony, I love you. Even after seeing you with another man… I can’t stop loving you. Suzie, I’ve never been this pathetic in my life.”

With that, he grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him.

“Suzie…” he whispered, tilting her chin up to meet his lips.

But Suzie, seizing the moment, bit down hard on his lip. Her tear-filled eyes blazed with a raw, undiluted hatred. Jamie didn’t flinch. He didn’t push her away. He simply frowned, his gaze filled with a tenderness and heartache she had never seen before. Suzie only released him when she tasted blood. A crimson drop trickled from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with his thumb.

“Feel better? If not, you can hit me too.”

His voice grew hoarse but steady as he looked at her with grave sincerity. “What I did just now was wrong. But it’s not because I lust after you or your body. It’s because I love you. I’ve wanted you for so long, every single day. Suzie, after all these days of torment, I thought I could let you go, but I can’t. I’ve seen my own heart, and I can’t live without you.”

“I’ll… I’ll run you a hot bath. You can soak for a bit and then get some sleep.”

He walked straight into the bathroom, and soon, a thin layer of steam fogged the glass door. Ten minutes later, Jamie emerged. He went to the closet, pulled out a bathrobe, and returned to the bed to wrap it around Suzie. Before she could struggle, he swept her up into his arms.

“Don’t fight me,” he warned gently as he carried her toward the bathroom. “My arm still hurts. I don’t want to drop you again.”

By the time he finished speaking, they were inside. He carefully set her down on the plush rug, his voice still soft.