Page 116 of Perfect Liar

Mrs. Bates came back in, sorting more food at the sideboard, and soon handing me a plate with strawberries and a turkey sandwich.

“You eat, dear. I talked to Nanny Sue, and she’ll stay until bedtime. I’ll be more at ease with managing the children overnight myself.”

“Me too, Mrs. Bates. Thank you for that.”

She bustled out again, though she did pause and turn to see with her own eyes that Will had started on his sandwiches.

I glanced at John a few times, realizing the best way for me to help the family through their grief was to give Will whatever he needed, so he could start to heal and give his family what they needed.

Because what they all really needed was Will.

He settled deeper into the leather cushions.

I set our empty plates on the side table.

“You should get some rest, Will. Let’s go upstairs,” I said.

He wove his fingers into my hair and pulled me to his mouth for a soft kiss.

“I just want to hold you,” he said.

In my room, grabbing some things to keep in Will’s room, I stepped out of the closet, and he hadn’t even moved. He still leaned against the door frame.

I put my hand in his, and we walked down the corridor to his room.

He remained quiet while I put my things away, but I sensed a storm building inside him.

I slipped one of his giant t-shirts over my head.

“It’s just us now, Will. You can say anything to me, whatever you need to say.”

“I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do,” he said.

He wasn’t ready to talk about what happened to Ethan, and I wouldn’t push him. Maybe he would never tell me exactly how Ethan died. If not saying the words aloud to me helped him get through his pain, then I would live with it.

“That’s okay. You don’t have to know right now. It’ll come to you when you’re ready.”

A lump of emotion grew in my throat. I tried to swallow it back, but I couldn’t. I put my arms around Will’s neck and lowered my forehead to his chest for a minute, then lifted my chin to see his eyes.

“For now, just say you’ll always come back to me. If anything happened to you?—”

I shook my head. Tears ran down my cheeks.

“Swear you’ll always come home, Will.”

His eyes came alive.

“I swear to you, I’ll always come back.”

Then he grabbed fistfuls of my hair and forced his mouth on mine, kissing me hard. I whimpered, and he softened his kiss, but it was still fiercely driven by his strong emotions. I pushed on his chest. He pulled back and ran his thumb over my lips, staring at them, dragging my bottom lip down to open my mouth.

“Christ, I need you. Don’t push me away.”

“I’ll never push you away. You’ve never kissed me that hard.”

He nodded and pulled the shirt over my head, leaving a trail of softer kisses on my shoulders and my neck.

“I’ll always come home to you, Elle…always.”