He Saw My Ghost All Along, And Grew Tired Of My Clinging Chapter 11

He Saw My Ghost All Along, And Grew Tired Of My Clinging Chapter 11

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. My brain just stopped.

I never thought he’d figure it out on day one.

I thought I’d been careful.

But he was looking at me with this soft, steady warmth. Like he’d been waiting.

When I finally found my voice, it came out small.

“How did you recognize me?”

His hand was already on my face, thumb tracing my cheekbone. His eyes held nothing back.

“I told you. I remember everything about you. Every detail. You tried to play it off, but you can’t fake

the things that matter.”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat.

“Doesn’t this scare you? I died, Reid. And now I’m standing here wearing someone else’s face…”

He didn’t let me finish. He pulled me in so hard I lost my breath.

He was shaking. All of him.

When he spoke, his voice broke against my ear.

“You don’t know what it’s been like. I haven’t slept well since I made you leave. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is your face.”

“I had to push you away. And doing it nearly killed me. So do you really think I care what you like now? You’re here. You’re you. That’s all that matters.”

His arms tightened around me.

“You never had to hide from me. Not ever. I don’t love your face, Elise. I love you.”

Every word hit me right in the center of my chest.

Tears ran down my face. I stopped fighting it and held on to him as hard as I could.

God, I’d missed this. The feel of him. Real and warm and solid.

I would have given up anything for this. Everything. Without a second thought.

It took a long time before I could breathe normally again.

“I heard what Nadine said today. About the threat. Reid, what if my accident wasn’t an accident?

Have you looked into it?”

nodded. His fingers were still laced through mine, grip tight.

“Yeah. I had my security team start digging the minute you walked out. After I lost you, I was in so much pain I couldn’t think straight. It never even crossed my mind.”

His face changed. Something dark and hard moved in behind his eyes.

“But Nadine’s letter brought it all back. If someone planned that crash, they’re done, I’ll burn them

to the ground.”

I’d felt the same rage. That white–hot fury at whoever ripped our lives apart.

If no one had been pulling strings behind the scenes, none of this would have happened.

But right now, with his voice in my ear and his chest under my cheek, the anger faded into the

background.

I didn’t need anything else.

I just wanted to live. Quietly. With him.

He read my mind. “I know part of you just wants to put this behind us. But whoever did this has serious reach. They covered their tracks for four years. That’s not small–time.”

“This isn’t over just because we found each other. If they’re still out there and they try again, I might not be able to protect you. I can’t live with that.”

That landed. I hadn’t thought of it that way.

“The only other option is locking you inside this house forever. And I won’t do that to you. So we

find them.”

His hand squeezed mine.

“This time, I’m keeping you safe. No matter what it takes.”

I let out a breath and pressed my face against his chest. For the first time in years, I felt safe.

I must have been exhausted, because somewhere between one heartbeat and the next, I fell asleep.

When I woke, I was lying in a room I knew.

Every piece of furniture and every detail matched my old bedroom.

It was the one Reid had rebuilt.

I lay there, staring, afraid to blink.

“What’s that face for? You don’t recognize your own room?”

I shook my head.

“It’s not that. I just… I can’t believe I get to have this again. The room. The things. But mostly you.

Being next to you.”

Dying teaches you fast what actually matters.

The ordinary life I used to take for granted felt like a miracle now.

“We should keep things strictly professional at work. Boss and assistant. Nothing more.”

“Once we find whoever’s behind this, we can tell everyone.”