Page 85 of Mountain Shadow

Her next thought was one of annoyance. He’d wanted her out of his way and she was getting out of his way.

So what is he doing here?

He approached their table with a measured gait.

“Sarah,” he began, clearing his throat.

Tess didn’t sit back down. “I need to ... I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Sarah watched her sister skulk away. It did nothing to reduce her annoyance.

“I was speaking to my sister,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I … needed to talk to you.”

“Okay.”

He sat down in front of her, and she felt no sympathy as he folded up his long legs to fit into the low armchair. For a long time, he didn’t say anything, just stared at her. A muscle ticked behind his jaw as he looked at the boarding card on the table between them.

“What do you want, Jens?” she finally asked.

“Please don’t go,” he said quietly.

“What?” Her voice shook.

This isn’t fair.

Don’t do this to me.

“You heard me. Don’t go, Sarah. I don’t want you to go.”

“Why are you saying this now?”

“It’s what I should have told you when you asked Tess to book you a flight, even before you’d been discharged from the hospital. It’s what I should have told you when you came home and packed your bags.”

“But you didn’t. You didn’t say anything.”

His kind, brown eyes bored into hers. “I was a fool. I thought … I thought I was doing the right thing. Letting you go. But it’s killing me.”

“You told me to go,” she said coldly. “You risked your life for me, but you wouldn’t risk your heart.”

His eyebrows shot up in confusion. “What?”

“I heard you, in the hospital. You said I would be flying back to London now that I was no longer in danger.”

“No …”

“I know what I heard.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes. “That’s not what I meant. It’s what I feared might happen, but I …” His lip trembled. “I made my worst fear come true. You thought I was pushing you away.”

“What was I supposed to think? I thought you’d had enough of me, Jens. After everything that happened, after what you had to do—”

“No. I love you, Sarah.” He swallowed, as if trying to control himself. “I can’t imagine life without you anymore.”

Sarah’s heart soared.

“So, what are you saying? You’re saying you want me to stay?”