"You were concerned for my well-being, that's why you didn't want to commit to me," Eliza said, stepping closer with a mix of emotions on her face. "That's what you do when you love someone – you put their well-being before your desires," I replied, my heart softening for her.
Her lips trembled at my admission. "Let's get you cleaned up, you are bleeding," she said, worriedly.
"It's not my blood," I replied.
“You are bleeding, Mark,” she insisted.
I looked down to see a gash on my left side, a flesh wound from a gunshot that I hadn't even noticed until now. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the pain started to take its toll.
"I will wait for Archer's doctor to take a look, you should go, Eliza," I said, feeling the need to protect her from any further danger. I looked around, scanning the grounds for threats, but it seemed Archer's men had everything under control now. I turned away, intending to head back to the cabin. However, Eliza followed me, running to catch up, and walked side by side with me to the cabin porch. Her presence was both comforting and unsettling, knowing she was willingly getting involved in my dangerous world.
"Why? Why wouldn't you let me take care of you?" Eliza asked, her voice desperate and filled with emotions.
"Because…" I started, clenching my teeth as I sat down on the wooden porch, "Because I am giving you a chance to walk away now, Eliza, please, take it!"
"And if I don't?" She challenged me, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, displaying a defiant stance.
"I swear to God if you touch me again, I will not let you go. Do you understand me?" I warned, my emotions running high.
"Mark…" she whispered, gently reaching forward to cup my face. "Let me take care of you," she pleaded, moving closer until there was barely an inch between our bodies. "Please," she whispered, her eyes filled with sincerity and love.
The intensity of her gaze made my resolve waver, and I hesitated. A part of me wanted to give in, to let her take care of me and be there for me, but the fear of putting her in danger held me back. Yet, at that moment, her presence and unwavering determination melted my defenses, and I knew I couldn't push her away any longer.
"I told you not to touch me," I rasped, trying to hold back my emotions. She pulled back, hurt evident in her eyes. But I couldn't resist any longer. I pulled her hard against my body and kissed her fiercely, feeling a rush of emotions overwhelm me. A low moan tore from my lips.
I had missed her so much, and now that she knew the truth about me, I had no reason to hold back anymore. "Now you are mine," I whispered against her lips. She quivered, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing hard against my body. But when I flinched in pain, she immediately went still and pulled back.
"I'm treating you," she said, quickly hurrying away and returning with her medical bag to clean my wound. I studied her beautiful face with a loving gaze, still hesitant to believe she was choosing to stay with me even after what I had told her about letting my mother die.
"How did you get here so fast?" I asked, curious about how she managed to find me in such a short time.
"I figured if you were going to break up with me, you could at least say it to my face," she replied, her voice tinged with hurt. I chuckled softly, touched by her concern for our relationship.
"I threatened Trevor and made him help in looking for you by finding the location of your phone," she continued, explaining how she managed to track me down. Her determination to find me warmed my heart.
"My phone?" I repeated, surprised and amazed by her resourcefulness.
"Remember it was a gift from me?" She gently reminded me, and I couldn't help but smile at the memory. "So I was happy to receive your coordinates. It gave me hope."
"Don't do that again," I rasped, feeling guilty for putting her through this ordeal.
"Do what, baby?" she asked, looking up at me with concern.
"Come looking for me 'cause it might be dangerous," I said, gesturing to the bodies-littered ground around us. She let out a sigh, understanding the risks involved. "Another thing…" I trailed off, feeling a bit hesitant about what I wanted to say next.
"Yes?" she prompted, giving me her full attention.
"Don't ever tell me you are moving out… ever," I said firmly, not wanting to imagine a life without her by my side.
"Don't ever tell me you are moving out… ever," I said firmly, looking into her eyes with intensity. "I didn't like that at all. Out of spite, even though I was trying to protect you, I would have come looking for you and taken you back to the house by any means necessary."
"You mean, kidnap me," she said with a playful smile.
"It's not funny," I admonished, though a small smile crept onto my face. She giggled and leaned in to kiss me. The touch of her lips against mine sent a thrill through me, and I deepened the kiss, savoring the taste of her.
When we finally pulled back, she was breathing heavily, and I couldn't help but give her a few more love bites and nibbles on her lower lip.
"You have to move back in," I rasped my desire for her evident in my eyes and voice.
"Okay, but we have to fix a date for our wedding," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"As soon as I'm free from here, we'll go to the county clerk's office and make it official," I said, feeling a surge of happiness at the thought of calling her my wife.
"Like in a few days?" she asked eagerly.
"Like tomorrow," I replied, not wanting to wait any longer to make her mine forever.
"Mark…" she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hey… what did I do?" I asked, concerned when I noticed her tears.
"I had thought the reason you were avoiding the topic of a wedding was because you didn't want to marry me," she whispered back against my lips.
"I'm sorry, baby, I just didn't think you would still want me…" I replied with sincerity.
"I love you," she whispered fervently.
"I love you more," I said, pulling her into a tight hug, not wanting to let her go.
"This is cute… you should know that he snores… really, really loud," Adele said from behind me, and I looked back to see her teasing us. Eliza giggled, and I felt my heart warm at the sight.
"She knows I don't snore, you little Tweetie," I said, faking indignation. "Come here," I added, opening my arms for her.
Adele didn't hesitate. She rushed into my arms, and I wrapped them tightly around her, feeling a deep sense of relief that she was safe.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you lost your memory. That must have been terrifying," Adele said against my chest, tightening her arms around my waist.
"It's okay, baby bird. Dr. Eliza helped," I replied, pressing a tender kiss to her hair.
"Adele already thanked me," Eliza said, and I gave her a grateful smile.
Drawing back from Adele to cup her face in my hands. "How are you feeling?" I asked, wanting to make sure she was truly okay after everything that had happened.
"Better than okay. I have you back, and Archer is going to be fine…" Adele replied, her eyes filled with relief and happiness.
"Hmm… I left you unwatched for a few days, and you chose Archer Donovan? Really?" I teased, playfully raising an eyebrow. Adele playfully hit me in the chest and giggled, hiding her face. Eliza laughed, watching our interaction with amusement.
"Mark, stop," Adele said, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"Don't worry, Adele, I'm just teasing," I reassured her, pulling her close for a comforting hug. "As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."
"You have reservations, then?" Adele asked, giving me a searching gaze.
I could see she was still unsure, and my reply to her question would carry a lot of weight. Honestly, I had always pictured her with a regular guy—a law-abiding citizen, someone who has an honest job and leads a modest life. I knew Eliza's parents would probably want the same for their only child, but the heart wants what it wants.
"You love him," I said to Adele, and she nodded in confirmation. "I've known Archer for a while now, and he's a pretty different man now. So I know he really cares about you too. And I believe that's all that matters. Plus, he knows I will kill him if he mistreats you. So we're good," I reassured her playfully. Adele laughed and lightly hit my forearm. She evidently found my protective threats amusing.
Her eyes misted up, and she hugged me again. "I'm so happy you're here," she cried.
"You're such a baby," I teased, trying to lighten the moment.
"I'm not. I'm sure that's why you didn't mention that our mother is dead. I saw her grave," Adele said against my chest.
Eliza subtly tried to get my attention, raising her hand, and giving me an intense gaze. I understood what she was trying to convey—that there are some things you just don't retell. I let out a sigh, grateful for her guidance.
"It's my job to take care of you, Adele. And also to protect you from unpleasantness," I said gently.
She nodded against my chest. "Thank you, big brother. I love you so much," she whispered loud enough for me to hear.
"I love you too, little bird," I replied, holding her tight.
Eliza climbed up to join us, and I took the opportunity to officially introduce her to Adele. "Let me officially introduce you to Dr. Eliza, Adele. If you don't mind having a sister, I would like her to join the Rutherford team," I said with a smile.
Adele simply drew Eliza into the hug. "Welcome to the family, Sister. Thank you for saving my brother and my Love," she said emotionally, her voice cracking with tears.
Eliza cooed and comforted her, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, please don't cry."
At that moment, I mouthed to Eliza that Adele was pregnant, explaining her overly emotional state. Eliza chuckled and tightened her arms around Adele, evidently grateful for Adele’s support and acceptance into the family.
As we stood there together, I couldn't help but feel a sense of completeness. The three of us, bonded not just by blood but also by love and the experiences we had shared, were now a united front, ready to face whatever challenges life threw our way. And with Eliza by my side, I knew that I had found someone who truly understood me, someone who accepted both the light and dark parts of my past and still chose to stay with me.
The weight of my secrets and fears seemed a little lighter, knowing that I had someone like Eliza who would be there for me, no matter what. As we stood there in that warm embrace, I knew that our journey was just beginning, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held for us as a family.