Page 348 of Faking the Goal

His eyes tell me everything his heart has been trying to say since he walked into this room.

We'll get through this.

I'm not leaving you.

Just hold on a little longer.

It feels as though the space between us disappears entirely, as though our hearts have somehow found the same rhythm and are beating together inside one chest.

His lips curve into the smallest smile, one that's so full of tenderness it nearly undoes me, and he lifts his hand to cup my cheek with such care that it's as though I'm made of the most delicate glass. I lean into the touch before I can stop myself, and his thumb brushes beneath my eye, catching the tear that escapes.

If this works, Charlie cannot take him from me.

No one can.

Kentaro studies my face for a long moment. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

I cover his hand with mine. "I don't know if okay is the word."

"Then we don't do it."

"But it could work."

"That doesn't matter if it puts you through hell again."

"It matters to me." My voice trembles, but I hold his gaze. "I want this to end."

His jaw tightens. "So do I."

"And if pretending is what gets us there..." I draw in a shaky breath. "We've done it before."

One corner of his mouth lifts, faint and reluctant.

"So another charade?" I ask.

His thumb strokes slowly over my cheek. "Yeah. But this time, we only have to pretend we're breaking up. Only until he's caught." His gaze drops briefly to my mouth before returning to my eyes. "And after that..."

He pauses, leaning closer until his forehead rests carefully against mine.

"You're mine."

Every butterfly in the universe seems to burst to life inside my stomach.

He searches my face, waiting.

"Are you up for one more performance, Trouble?"

I don't hesitate.

I lace my fingers through his and squeeze.

"With you?" My smile trembles. "Always."

*****

After more than a week of being stuck in the hospital, the doctors finally sign my discharge papers.

By eight in the morning, I'm dressed, my bag is packed, and every nerve in my body is stretched so tight I feel like the slightest touch might snap me in half. The room looks almost normal now that most of the monitors have been removed, but nothing about this feels normal. Detective Matthews is waiting in the adjoining consultation room with two plainclothes officers, and Kentaro is with them because everyone agreed Conrad cannot see him anywhere near me. Judging by the look Kentaro gave the detective before disappearing behind that door, I'm willing to bet "agreed" is a generous word for whatever happened between them. He looked one poorly timed breath away from planting himself beside my bed and daring Conrad to try walking through the door.