The Breaking Wheel

Chapter 72: Back Together

"Hey, Molly?" Lawrence slowly came up to her.

"Hm?"

"I kind of suspected this before but... do... do you still love me?"

She swallowed and looked away from him. "Y-Yes. Yes, I do."

He opened his mouth to speak when she quickly added, "But I understand if you don't feel the same way anymore."

She mentally kicked herself. "If"? Why would he love you anymore, you horrible, good-for-nothing piece of-

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her. The warm, heavy weight of his head rested on her shoulder.

"I still love you," he breathed in her ear. "I was so scared when I heard that you tried to kill yourself. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He growled. "Come to think of it, I bet that the stupid snake was the one who pushed you to kill yourself."

Goosebumps raised all over her skin at the sudden contact, and without thinking, she leaned against him.

"I'm sorry I... did that to you," she whispered back. "I can't imagine how hurt you by that."

He pulled back so that she could see his face. "I was hurt," he said bluntly, making her flinch, "but the more I thought about it, the more confused I was. Why did you do that?"

"I... I thought the snake might go after you because he knew that we were in a relationship. I thought that if I could trick him into thinking that I didn't love you anymore, then he would leave you alone. Looking back and considering everything that happened after, that might've been his plan all along," she said ruefully. "He said things that made me think that everyone hated me."

"He was playing all of us like fiddles," he growled. "He made me think that you genuinely didn't love me anymore, but after you saved me from being burned and begged me to stay with you in the hospital, I started second-guessing that."

She looked away. "Will you take me back?" she asked half-heartedly. Why would he?

He leaned down and tenderly kissed her cheek. "Yes."

She froze, her eyes growing wide with astonishment. After it finally registered, she flung herself at him, throwing her arms around him and burying her head in the crook of his neck. Her whole body trembled with held-back sobs. After a moment, he slowly hugged her back, resting his head on top of hers.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." she mumbled over and over, thanking every god she knew that she had him in her life. What did I ever do to deserve him?