I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 43

Horace held me close, his long fingers gently stroking my hair. He sighed, his voice full of helplessness and sorrow. "Do you have to pretend, even with me? I was gone for five hundred and fifty days, not fifty years. I know you better than anyone." He tilted my head up. "Besides, I can see the guilt in your eyes as clear as day. Why are you pushing me away?"

The icy walls I had just built came crashing down. Horace knew me too well. We had been childhood friends for over twenty years; I couldn't hide anything from him.

"Horace…"

"Is it because you're worried about what Steven would think? Are you choosing him over me?"

I pushed away from him and looked at his kind, handsome face, shaking my head. "No, it has nothing to do with Steven. It’s… I feel too guilty. I don't know how to face you."

He gently flicked my nose. "You silly girl. Don't always take all the blame on yourself. Yes, my leg was injured saving you, but you married Steven to make sure it was healed." His expression softened. "We're friends. We protect each other, we help each other succeed. There’s no room for guilt. If you push me away again, I'm really going to get angry, understand?"

I stared at him, tears streaming down my face. He seemed to understand my guilt over his leg, but it was so much more than that. I was terrified he would get hurt again, yet I couldn't bear the thought of pushing him away. He and Rachel were the only two friends I had in the world. And he was the one who would lay down his life for me…

My resolve wavered, but then my gaze hardened with determination. "I'm sorry. Next time, I'll be the one to protect you!"

I wouldn't let him die in front of me again. I absolutely wouldn't.

Horace broke into a beautiful smile, his eyes sparkling like stars. "With those little arms and legs of yours? I think I'd better stick to protecting you."

We looked at each other and smiled. I pulled him into a tight hug. After all these years, I was truly happy to see him again. If Uncle Julian hadn't been in danger, I would have been ecstatic.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify