Till It Last (Shattered#2)

Chapter#24

| Hailey Pickett |

I was full.

My heart so full , so at peace . .it was unbelievable and jarring at the same time.

The fact he didn't shy away from letting it out in front of me, the side of my neck was still slightly damp from his tears, he held me so tight I had fingerprints on my arm. I did ask him a silly thing . .

I blamed it on the moment.

"Can you passover all your grief to me? We can share."

I heard him sniff and a chuckle?

"This kinda sharing won't be caring. It would be being selfish though I have to admit. It's kinda tempting, the offer."

The aftermath of the beautiful moment was no awkwardness. The environment turned out to be be peaceful, it reminded me of the scene. . .in Conjuring movie when the ghost gets kicked out of the house and the dawn breaks . .the sun gets out. I could spot the tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips, I could see his shoulders slackened, his posture calm and collected.

As if he didn't just. .

Must be cool being a man because when I cry? Oh boy! Ain't nobody stopping me.

I kept looking at him, his side profile and loving the affect he had one me. Some people brings out the best in you.

"What you looking at?" He asked , staring ahead, his voice husky.

Smiling, I leaned back against the seat.

"Nothing. .just admiring the view."

Ian glanced at me, his eyes sparking up at catching the smile on my face , "My view is much better , I think."

I placed a hand over my heart ,"Oh my! I'm flattered, sir." I mocked.

"I'm only stating the truth here , madame."

We kept looking at each other with a dopey look on our faces and then burst out laughing!

It wasn't even a funny joke, I-we wanted to laugh out loud like he didn't just share his darkest secret with me.

I felt elated.

He trusted me. .like no other.

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"Where are we?," I asked slowly, now looking around the shady area. I had never been at this side of the city because of how much mom had threatened me to never step a foot here , being a girl and all.

I got that the neighborhood was bad , i never came here. The buildings around had cracked up paint , graffiti on walls, sketchy people were huddled up in a group and I may have spotted a prostitute spitting at a man. Cussing at him for being a thwack in bed.

Ian got out of the car while I tried not to let the hood overwhelm me. He had cupped his hands to his mouth and he was blowing breaths , trying to warm up his cold hands.

It was kinda funny how he was always cold.

"Let me." I said when he came towards me. At first he didn't get what I said and then I took hold of his hand .

His hand wrapped around mine, fingers sliding into mine.

"Better?"

He nodded before lifting up our entangled hands and kissing the back of mine.

The warm tinge in my cheeks made him smirk.

"We're going to meet Chelissa." He suddenly dropped the bomb and I whipped my neck at him , eyes wide.

"What?! But-why! She won't like it! No one likes strangers!"

"No, she won't." He mused now walking towards a building, he had parked his car in the lot so I assumed it must be the building we were heading to.

"She'll hate me." My voice got weak.

"For what?" He asked and I had a suspicion he was enjoying himself.

"I don't know. .for being with you?" I offered lamely.

He laughed!

He freaking laughed!

"We're not in some teenage love triangle, sweetheart. Life don't work that way. You gotta accept straight up facts and the fact is , I love you."

Ok, now that melted me enough to shut up.

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We were standing in front of a brown door, the color had been withered away as if it had been scratched viciously plenty of times. Even the doorbell seemed cranked up.

Involuntarily, my hand went around his bicep.

"Are you sure about this?"

He was fumbling around in his pant's pocket.

"Yeah. Don't sweat it." His concentration was elsewhere and then he produced a key out of his pocket.

"You have. .her keys." I swallowed , not liking it a bit.

"Yeah, I used to crash here after the. . episode. Please don't make it difficult for me, Hailey. I know how it looks like but I told you she's a friend, a sister. Whichever you wanna pick." He shrugged and slipped the key in the lock, rotating it.

"Don't look at me like that. When you meet her, you'll know it yourself. " He said softly and I nodded. I had to. I knew one thing ; he never lied.

Ian pushed the door open and we stepped inside. I looked like a kid who didn't know what to look at and what not to. For the space around me was, small. The apartment was cramped with a couch , a tv , a tiny kitchen that I could see because it had no door and a bedroom that too lacked a door. Everything was smacked dabbed in one place , I was scared if I moved, I might break something.

Ian was behind me in a second and he wrapped his arms around my waist from the back, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"I love you. Thank you for being you. There is no you but you." He whispered in my ear and kissed the side of my head, crushing me to his chest.

"I love you back-,"

I was going to say more than anything but I didn't get the chance.

Because the door burst open.

And I jumped so bad, my shoulder hit his chin, he cursed-and we looked around, my face on fire , Ian clutching at his chin.

The person that entered definitely wasn't Chelissa.

I refused to believe it was her.

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