The Intern

Chapter 59

"I've missed this."

Levi's voice was low and deep against my ear, vibrating softly in his chest and rousing me from what had been the best night of sleep I'd had in over a week. I could feel his touch, gentle and lingering, slowly tracing the collar that was still wrapped around my neck. Serving as my constant reminder that I was once again his, and he was finally mine. And it was still hard to believe, even hours later despite the fact that my mind had done nothing but try to convince me of it. He had been the only thing I dreamed about.

And for the first time in days, that was actually a good thing.

"I've missed it, too," I murmured against his chest, pausing to brush my fingers against the key as if to remind myself that it was still there. And it was. Exactly where it should be. "It's only been a week, but I felt wrong without it."

"You looked wrong without it." Levi hooked his finger in the ring and gave it a small tug before releasing it again. I had a feeling that he was also trying to reassure himself that it was there. "Seeing you these past few days... it was like something was missing from you. And I don't think I realized what it was until I finally saw it again."

I angled my head to the side and my fingers caught the end of the key, tilting it up into my field of vision. Just as I had a dozen times before finally falling asleep in his arms. I'd memorized the sight of it months ago, and it was as familiar to me now as my own hand. And yet I couldn't seem to stop myself from worrying that I would somehow manage to forget it anyway.

And I knew I couldn't let that happen.

"I'm sorry I ever took it from you."

The regret in his voice pulled my eyes to him, and I found him staring at the key gripped between my fingers. And immediately I wanted to wipe the pain away. I'd seen too much of it over the past week, and now that things were finally okay I knew I didn't want to see it anymore. Not that I had wanted to see it to begin with, but I understood it then. And it was unnecessary now. Now that we had forgiven each other. Now that we were together again.

Now that I finally understood.

And I did understand, even before tonight. Days ago, when he had removed the key from my neck, I knew exactly why he had done it. Why it had been important for him to do so. And I hadn't blamed him for it then. And I couldn't bring myself to blame him for it now. Because I'd learned at the start of our relationship that Levi saw revenge as closure. Or at least he had with Erwin.

And that was what he'd needed with me.

A moment of my pain in exchange for the lie.

I couldn't say I didn't earn it.

"I know why you had to do it." I shrugged, my eyes returning to the key. "And I get that you needed your revenge in that moment. I mean, you never really got it with Erwin, and after I lied to you about everything... well, I can understand why you would want to hurt me over it. And-"

"Wait, what?" Levi cut me off so quickly that the words caught in my throat and stopped completely. He sat up and I moved, my eyes meeting his and finding more confusion than I ever expected to see there.

"I said that I-"

"No, I know what you said." He shook his head and then grabbed me by the shoulder, pulling me forward until I was practically in his lap. With nowhere else to look but his eyes. "You think I hurt you on purpose?"

Now it was my turn to look confused. "Why else would you take the key from me?"

"Because it was the only way to show you that I was actually done. That we were over." Levi searched my eyes for a moment and tilted his head to the side, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly with mild amusement. "I mean, come on, kid. I know you. You would have been pounding at my door five minutes later if I didn't try to convince you. And would you really have believed that I was serious if I left the key with you?"