Page 85 of Merciless

I told myself that I was going to set her free on her birthday, but that was five days prior to this photograph.

I couldn’t do it. And thankfully, she didn’t make me.

“So, what now?” Alana asks, staring at me over the top of the flickering candle on the birthday cake I bought her to celebrate today.

She’s been with me for almost two years. She’s such a huge part of my life. The best part of my life and I don’t think she has any clue.

She thinks I rescued her that night. But she has no idea that really, she saved me.

She’s given me so much in our time together. So much laughter and light. Things I so desperately needed yet didn’t feel like I was ever going to experience again.

“Now…” I force out through the massive lump in my throat, “I guess you’ve got a decision to make.”

She studies me, her eyes bouncing between mine.

“A decision?” she asks hesitantly.

I swallow nervously and rest my forearms on the table. “I… uh… I…”

“You’re scaring me. Are you kicking me out?” she asks, her eyes wide with fear.

“What? No. I’d never do that. I love having you here,” I say in a rush.

She doesn’t believe me. Even after all this time, she still thinks it’s a hardship for me to have her here.

Yes, it’s painful. It makes me crave things I shouldn’t want. But there isn’t anyone else I want to be sharing this house with.

Hell, I bought it for her. A place for her to have peace and tranquillity. A place she could heal and attempt to rebuild her life.

She’s only told me the basics of why she was running that night. But the basics are more than enough.

“So what have I got to decide?” she asks innocently.

“Blow out your candle first. I don’t want cake with wax on it.” I smirk.

“Oh, I’m sharing, am I?” she teases, her wide smile that I love spreading across her face.

“Yeah, Doll. We’re sharing.”

As we hold each other’s eyes, something crackles between us. Something I’ve been trying to ignore for two years now.

I keep telling myself that I need to be better.

Alana has spent her life surrounded by men who only want her for one thing. I’m determined to be the opposite. Prove to her that it’s not her body I’m interested in but who she is. She makes it really damn hard though. Pun intended. Especially when she makes it more than obvious what she wants from me.

She’s eighteen now.

I could be a selfish asshole and break the one rule I set for myself.

Or I could put her first, a place she deserves to be, and treat her right.

Leaning forward, she holds her hair back as she purses her lips, closes her eyes, and blows.

Fuck me, she’s so beautiful.

“Did you make a wish?” I ask, forcing my gaze to lift from her lips.

I bet they’re so fucking sweet.