talking to me.”
“I’m sorry Dex. Things have changed. I don’t want this anymore. I’m not good for you. It’s time for you to move on. Find someone worthy of-“
“No. You are not going to push me away with this bullshit about you not being good enough. What the hell happened while I was gone? I don’t believe you just changed your mind suddenly after being together and happy for almost two years.”
Elena’s breath hitched. She could hear the hurt and confusion in his deep voice. Tears welled and overflowed, trickling down her face. She had cried so much lately she didn’t know how she had any tears left.
“Dexter, you’re upsetting her. I think that’s enough for today.” Hector Lopez stood in the doorway and frowned at him. They both turned to a sobbing Elena. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her frail shoulders shuddered as she gasped for breath.
Dex pulled her from the swing, sat in her place then pulled her onto his lap and enfolded her in his strong arms. Her sobs escalated but she clung to him fiercely. They stayed like that for a long time, Dex swinging them gently as he whispered reassuringly in her ear. Elena held on like she’d never let go. After about thirty minutes she finally calmed down, the tears stopped and her breathing evened out, no longer gasping shuddering intakes of breath.
He kissed her tenderly, spreading them across her damp cheeks and red, swollen eyes. “I’m sorry, little light. I don’t want to upset you. Let me take you up to your room for a nap. You’re exhausted.”
She broke her silence with a raspy voice, “I’m sorry. I got your shirt all wet.”
Dex stood with Elena in his arms. “No problem, little one. “ He lifted her effortlessly and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He set her down next to the bed in her childhood room, still decorated as it was when she was a teen. He sat her on the side of the bed pulled off her shoes and jeans, then before she could protest he had her snuggled into her bed and was sitting at her side. He cupped his hand around her neck and stroked her cheek with a wide thumb as he looked down at her. Her beautiful rich brown eyes were brimming with tears.
In his eyes, Elena could see the worry and pain reflected in the light blue depths. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. It was never my intention.” She raised a small, pale hand to his handsome face. She smiled wanly as he turned into her palm and placed a tender kiss in the center. His large hand rose and held hers, keeping it pressed against his face.
“I love you, Elena.”
“I love you too, Dex. Always will.”
As he looked into her tear-filled eyes he followed a teardrop as it spilled over wet spiky lashes and slid down her cheek into her hair. “Please, talk to me,” he begged.
“Tired,” she murmured and then yawned, the tears had drained her.
Dex frowned and leaned forward. “Ok, you rest now and I’ll be here when you wake up. We can talk then.”
She sighed in response and then drifted off. Dex gave her another gentle kiss on her forehead, tucked the covers up around her and then stroked her hair with his big hand as she slept. He sat next to her, soaking up every detail of her being - the fan of her long lashes against her fair skin, the small little huff of air passing between her full lips, the curve of her soft cheek as it rested against her palm. His eyes drifted to the small white bandage covering the fresh scar on the inside of her wrist. It would be an enduring symbol of this time in her life and the degree of her inner torment and pain. Unable to resist, he stroked the silky length of her long dark hair. She was so beautiful, and his chest constricted painfully as he thought of how close he had come to losing her.
Dex spent the next forty-eight hours by her side. Too soon, the time came for his flight that would take him back to the war
“I’m sorry Dex. Things have changed. I don’t want this anymore. I’m not good for you. It’s time for you to move on. Find someone worthy of-“
“No. You are not going to push me away with this bullshit about you not being good enough. What the hell happened while I was gone? I don’t believe you just changed your mind suddenly after being together and happy for almost two years.”
Elena’s breath hitched. She could hear the hurt and confusion in his deep voice. Tears welled and overflowed, trickling down her face. She had cried so much lately she didn’t know how she had any tears left.
“Dexter, you’re upsetting her. I think that’s enough for today.” Hector Lopez stood in the doorway and frowned at him. They both turned to a sobbing Elena. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her frail shoulders shuddered as she gasped for breath.
Dex pulled her from the swing, sat in her place then pulled her onto his lap and enfolded her in his strong arms. Her sobs escalated but she clung to him fiercely. They stayed like that for a long time, Dex swinging them gently as he whispered reassuringly in her ear. Elena held on like she’d never let go. After about thirty minutes she finally calmed down, the tears stopped and her breathing evened out, no longer gasping shuddering intakes of breath.
He kissed her tenderly, spreading them across her damp cheeks and red, swollen eyes. “I’m sorry, little light. I don’t want to upset you. Let me take you up to your room for a nap. You’re exhausted.”
She broke her silence with a raspy voice, “I’m sorry. I got your shirt all wet.”
Dex stood with Elena in his arms. “No problem, little one. “ He lifted her effortlessly and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He set her down next to the bed in her childhood room, still decorated as it was when she was a teen. He sat her on the side of the bed pulled off her shoes and jeans, then before she could protest he had her snuggled into her bed and was sitting at her side. He cupped his hand around her neck and stroked her cheek with a wide thumb as he looked down at her. Her beautiful rich brown eyes were brimming with tears.
In his eyes, Elena could see the worry and pain reflected in the light blue depths. “I’m so sorry for hurting you. It was never my intention.” She raised a small, pale hand to his handsome face. She smiled wanly as he turned into her palm and placed a tender kiss in the center. His large hand rose and held hers, keeping it pressed against his face.
“I love you, Elena.”
“I love you too, Dex. Always will.”
As he looked into her tear-filled eyes he followed a teardrop as it spilled over wet spiky lashes and slid down her cheek into her hair. “Please, talk to me,” he begged.
“Tired,” she murmured and then yawned, the tears had drained her.
Dex frowned and leaned forward. “Ok, you rest now and I’ll be here when you wake up. We can talk then.”
She sighed in response and then drifted off. Dex gave her another gentle kiss on her forehead, tucked the covers up around her and then stroked her hair with his big hand as she slept. He sat next to her, soaking up every detail of her being - the fan of her long lashes against her fair skin, the small little huff of air passing between her full lips, the curve of her soft cheek as it rested against her palm. His eyes drifted to the small white bandage covering the fresh scar on the inside of her wrist. It would be an enduring symbol of this time in her life and the degree of her inner torment and pain. Unable to resist, he stroked the silky length of her long dark hair. She was so beautiful, and his chest constricted painfully as he thought of how close he had come to losing her.
Dex spent the next forty-eight hours by her side. Too soon, the time came for his flight that would take him back to the war
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