Never let go CHENFORD FF English version

Chapter 6 Late-night conversations

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What's wrong? What do you mean?" he asked, slightly uneasy, unsure of what to expect from Lucy.

"I..." she began, closing her eyes briefly. "Since my call, you've done everything for me, taken care of me, watched over me, even let me sleep in your bed," she smiled gently. "I just want to say, somehow... you mean more to me than just a colleague," she stammered, feeling incredibly foolish for acting like a teenager.

He turned to her and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Lucy, I would do anything for you. When you went on that mission, I was against it. Not because I doubted you, but because I knew who was waiting for you. I didn't want you to never come back, to be found somewhere because they figured out who you are. I told Harper how I felt about it. But when contact was lost, I went out on the streets. I wanted to find you and know you were safe. I can't explain it, but when I saw you lying there, I was terrified it might be too late. I didn't want to lose you. Of course, no one wants to lose a rookie, but this was different. There was more than just concern for a colleague," he explained.

As he spoke, she wanted to kiss him, her heart pounding in her chest. She slowly leaned towards him, mindful of her wounds that still caused sharp pain with certain movements. Just before reaching his face, she glanced between his eyes and lips.

"Tim, I..." she began, as he gave her a gentle kiss. She returned it, but as she leaned more into the kiss, a sharp pain shot through her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered uncertainly.

"Lucy, I'm sorry," he moved slightly back and looked at her. "I shouldn't have... but you do something to me. But you need to rest; it was thoughtless of me."

"No, I wanted it. I still want it. I want you, but I guess what I want and what I can do are two different things. But promise me you'll never leave me alone again," she looked at him and carefully nestled into his arm.

"It feels good to have you close and to know you're safe," Tim smiled gently and kissed her hair. "I'm just relieved to know I wasn't imagining that there's more between us than just being colleagues."

"Well, at first you made me unsure, but after we got to know each other better, I realized you're always there for your friends and partners, giving everything for the people you love. Somehow, there's a special connection between us, something I've never felt before."

"I felt the same, for a long time. Your demeanor, how you stood up to me, impressed me. You believed in yourself no matter how hard I pushed. That's why, in my mind, you quickly became more than just another rookie."

She smiled and turned slightly to look into his face. "Tim Bradford, I'd like to say it out loud," she smiled, "I've fallen in love with you. And I'm not just saying that because you saved me and my body is still full of hormones."

He smiled gently at her. "Lucy Chen, I've fallen in love with you too. I would move mountains to see you healthy and happy. You mean everything to me. As much as I want to kiss you wildly and do a few things to show you how much I love you, you need rest. And if you want, we'll have plenty of time for Tim Bradford's bed lessons," he grinned and winked.

"Oh, the trainer is back," she smirked. "But I'm not sure Officer Bradford has much to teach me in that area," she shrugged slightly and smiled seductively.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her curiously. How much he wanted to just fall over her now. But he couldn't; she needed to recover, and whatever else had happened to her, she needed to process it first. He didn't want her to do it just because he wanted to. Maybe she wanted to as well, but even if she wasn't aware, she needed to process what had happened and not just suppress it.

"Come on, Lucy, you can cuddle now, and then get some sleep. If anything happens, I'm right here with you. I'll check on every strange noise," he promised.

She smiled and snuggled close to him, as he wrapped his arm tightly around her. She finally felt safe and at home.

Today the chapter is a little bit shorter. Hope you still like it :)