Captured Sun
Page 14
I wrapped his arms around my waist and leaned against his chest. I could feel him trembling and I smiled. "I'm so mad at you right now that I'd love to punch you, but I'm pretty sure that would just bruise my hand."
"Very likely, my heart," he said, humor clearly evident in his voice. His arms tightened around me and I lay my ear against his chest and listened to him breathe.
"You are not responsible for me, Mathias," I said. "I have to be responsible for myself. I cannot let you be chained, captured, just because you feel honor-bound to stand in the way of any danger that comes toward me." I sighed. "You have to be free and you have to let me be the one who decides what is best for me. You're right that you can't protect me from everything. No one can. You have to let me make mistakes and scrape my knees and all that crap."
"Honor is not what ties me to you," he said softly, kissing the top of my head.
"Then what is it?" My heart thumped heavily. Hope is an evil thing when you know your entire life's happiness might rest in her fickle hands.
"Love, you silly girl," he said, laying his cheek against my hair. "Yes, I am captured and chained, but it is a captivity I would die to remain in. If you can ever forgive me, I will love you every day of eternity. If not, I will leave and I will watch, but I will not interfere."
I gazed up at his beloved face. "No more white knight crap? No more doing things for my own good without consulting me?"
His blazing bright smile lit his features. "No more white knight crap, as you say, or taking your decisions from you without consulting you."
"And you will never leave me again." I thumped his chest with my fist. "You can't leave me, Mathias. You are my sun and I can't live without the sun."
"I will be your captured sun for eternity, my heart. I will not leave you unless you once again order me away."
"Swear it," I said. "Swear on your life."
"I will do one better, my heart. I will swear it on yours."