The case was slow, to say the least, and Alex wasn't being overly helpful. I knew she was terrified, both of the man who'd hurt her and of me, but that didn't make it any easier. She was still in the hospital, being treated for second degree burns and trauma sustained from the sexual assault.

I went to see her the next day. She was doped up on painkillers, drifting in and out of consciousness, but she knew I was there. She rolled over so she was facing away from me and didn't say a word.

I sat down on a chair beside her bed and didn't say anything either. She was in a bad place right now and I didn't know how to comfort her, except with my mere presence. It was all I could do.

I stayed by her side for an hour, then finally left, assuring her I'd be back to see her tomorrow.

I heard her quiet sobs as I closed the door, but I didn't look back. Earning her trust back was going to take time and if I loved her – which I did – I would have to wait it out.

The next day, I was back at the hospital. Again, I sat in the chair beside Alex's bed and just watched her. She was pretending to be asleep, but she didn't fool me. Still, I didn't call her out on it. I just sat there.

Eventually she rolled over and locked her eyes onto mine. I held my breath, fearing that she was going to tell me to get lost, but she didn't. She managed a small smile. "Hi."

Relief seeped through my pores. "Hi."

She looked at me for a moment longer, then closed her eyes again, the smile still on her lips.

Good. We were getting somewhere.

I came back every day for a week, making progress little by little. She would greet me when I arrived and say goodbye when I left. She didn't talk to me beyond that, but she was at least comfortable being in the same room. And that was a start.

Finally, after a week had gone by, she ventured a question. "Are you okay now, Olivia? I mean, with the blackouts . . ."

I nodded. "I'm okay. I haven't had one of those in almost a year."

She sighed, then closed her eyes again.

"You're safe, Alex," I said softly. "I promise you that I will never, ever hurt you again."

The expression on her face was unreadable, and I held my breath for a moment, worrying that I'd overstepped my bounds. But then she relaxed and managed a wan smile. "That's good," she said quietly. "That's good."

The next day, one of the nurses told me that Alex's condition was improving, and she'd probably be able to return home in a week. This time, I took a risk and instead of sitting in my usual chair, I perched on the edge of her bed. She started at first, then relaxed.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Did the nurse tell you the good news?" I asked.

She nodded. "I can go home next week, probably." She hesitated. "Do you have any leads on the bastard who did this to me?"

I sighed. "Nothing solid, but we're getting there."

We sat in silence for a few moments, then Alex reached out and took my hand in hers. They were icy cold, but just as soft and beautiful as I remembered. I closed my eyes in pleasure and grinned like a fool. I'd been waiting one year, five months, four weeks, and four days for this, for her to be holding my hand, for her to be touching me again. This was innocent touching, but it made my heart soar.

I was back the next day, sitting on her bed again. We were taking it slowly – I had to be patient, but we were getting somewhere. This time, she scooted over on the hospital bed and patted the space beside her. I grinned and obediently sat down next to her. I was letting her take the lead with this, letting her call the shots. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, but this was good for now – better than I'd expected, in fact.

She took my hand again in her icy ones and whispered, "Liv."

I looked up at her. "Yeah?"

She took a deep breath. "I want to try again."

My heart skipped a beat.

"I want to take it slow," she said hastily. "But Olivia, I never stopped loving you."

I hesitantly started to rub her back. It had comforted her in the past and I hoped it would do the same now. "Oh, Alex," I murmured. "I love you, too. I love you so much that I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. We can go at your pace, however fast or slow you like. I'm so sorry for what I did in the past, Alex, but I promise it will never happen again. I love you, Alex. You're a princess and you deserve to be treated like one."

Tears were brimming in her eyes and she offered me a watery smile, taking a huge leap of faith. "Hold me," she whispered.

I was only too happy to do so. Our tears intermingled and I buried my face in her hair, inhaling the intoxicating scent of Alex.

Then she spoke again. "Please try to understand," she murmured. "Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I had to protect myself. But it wasn't easy. I cried myself to sleep every night because I missed you so much, and all I wanted was to be in your arms. I love you."

"You don't owe me anything," I assured her, pulling her closer to me. "But Alex, I want you to know that I never meant to hurt you. I was in a bad place, but now it's all clearer to me, and not a day goes by when I don't think of the wonderful woman I lost. The wonderful woman I drove away."

She knew she couldn't argue with that, so she didn't. She just sighed and snuggled closer to me, which made my heart soar.

I'd missed her so much. And moreover, she loved me still.

Thank God.

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