Page 254 of Broken Saint

“What about the car?” I suddenly ask. “It’s a rental and?—”

“Use it. Just be here with it when I land in five days.”

“Colt, that’s?—”

“I’m not sure I’ll fit even half of me in your little car, Ella,” he teases.

“You expect me to drive this thing?”

He smirks. “Hell, yeah. And you’ll look hot as hell doing it.”

“If you say so,” I mutter.

“Just be here, yeah?” he confirms.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

Unable to put this off any longer, Colt pushes the door open and climbs out.

He meets me at the passenger side and physically lifts me out.

“How am I going to get in and out of this thing without you?” I sulk.

“I love you, Ella. I’ll message you when I land.”

I nod, unable to talk through the messy lump of emotion in my throat.

“I love you too,” I mouth.

He kisses me hard enough to bruise before he pulls back, presses another to the top of my head, releases me and marches away.

He doesn’t look back, and as much as I hate it, I know it’s because if he does, he’ll change his mind.

He needs this.

I need this.

It’ll be worth it in the end.

65

COLTON

The thought of her sitting in that truck and crying long after I’d disappeared into the airport makes me want to turn around and go straight back to her.

I desperately wanted to look back, to go back and tell her that I wasn’t leaving.

But I couldn’t.

We both knew it. But it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

I’d messaged her before getting in the line for security, and as if she was waiting for it, she replied instantly.

I hadn’t planned on proposing minutes before leaving.

I bought the ring two days ago and had hoped that the right time would present itself.

But sitting there in the car, watching her eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip tremble, I knew I couldn’t leave without showing her how serious I was.