I smiled shyly at him, and he smiled softly in return, before kissing me once more. His face fell when he ended the kiss.

“About a week before you left for Christmas, my agent received an email with your picture attached. It was from him; you were coming home from school. I nearly had a heart attack when I realised he'd found us again, found out about you, and right after things had been going so well for us. I felt like we had barely been given a chance to make it work…” Tudor trailed off.

Fuck-a-duck, he was after me too? My God!

Tudor saw my face pale and hugged me tight. “The police were always ringing, telling me where he had been spotted, and I could see you were getting suspicious and I knew you were thinking the worst, but how could I explain my past without risking what we had? I needed you, but I just couldn’t tell you anything.

“His picture had been circulated to local businesses and private eyes. The sightings indicated that he had made his way to Calgary, that he was here somewhere, and I decided not to tell you even then as I didn't want to scare you – I needed to protect you, protect my family. I knew though, I knew deep down that I'd lose you. Who would willingly stay in this f**ked up situation?

“When you broke up with me, I felt like he'd won. He took you away, the only thing to ever make me truly happy. That paparazzi picture must have clued him in to where we were.

“The police have been looking for him for the past week, he was lying low. I thanked the Lord every day that you were in England and he couldn't get to you.”

He brushed kisses onto my neck. “I was outside taking the Christmas lights down this morning when I heard Bee scream. He had gotten in through her window, which was usually always locked, but she’d opened it to let in some fresh air, and he’d seized his opportunity. When I reached the room, he was already hitting her, tearing clothes off her body while she tried to push him away. I flipped at seeing him again, attacking my sister… again! You turned up just after the police came and dragged me off him. If they’d let me I think I would have killed him, Tash. I f**king hate him!”

He sucked in a ragged breath at his admission, and I simply nodded and held him. He took my hand and played with my fingers before he grabbed them tightly in his grip.

“He mentioned you, said that he'd gone for you this morning but you weren't home.”

His eyes squeezed shut, tears spilling from their corners. “Jesus, Tash, what if you had been there? What if–?"

I cut him off by putting my hands on his face. I leaned in and kissed him passionately, showing him without words what he meant to me. He didn't break away. He instantly responded and pushed me back and down onto the sofa, never leaving my lips. I could feel and taste the dried blood on his mouth but I didn’t care.

He groaned and lifted his head and smiled down at me, the first genuine smile since I had found him alone in that room. I moaned in complaint at the interruption of our reunion kiss. "Just checking you’re real," he murmured and then crashed his lips to mine once more. He stroked my head with his hand as he moved to lay soft caresses on my cheeks, my closed eyes, my neck and my nose.

This was home; this was where we were meant to be, with each other, honest and open. He pulled back his head, cupped my face, looked me deep in the eyes with a serious expression and whispered, "I love you, Sunshine. I actually can't believe how much I f**king love you."

My heart melted. I was utterly speechless at the strength and conviction of his words. I gripped him as tightly as possible to compose myself. I was shaking from the soul-shattering adoration I was feeling towards this man.

I pressed my hand to his cheek. "I love you, too, babe.”

“You do?” he sighed, as though he doubted my returned affections.

“Mmm-hmm. All the way to the moon and back."

He pulled a playfully shocked expression. "That much?"

I shrugged. "No, probably more." It was the truth.

I lifted his head closer to mine, I wanted him as near to me as possible. "Thank you for telling me everything. You don't know how much it means to me that you trust me enough to tell me all that you have been through. I will never tell another soul."

He pressed his forehead against mine once again. “Thank you for not running far away from me when I did."

"Never, you would only catch up with me anyhow. I’m not exactly what you’d call a sprinter." I whispered, jokingly.

He shifted, rolling me on top of him. He was quite content to just lie there looking at me, but after a while he pulled a frown.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, worried, smoothing the creases on his face with the back of my hand

He glanced away, his face torn with sadness. "I'll never forgive myself for endangering you like that. I-I just couldn't not have you in my life. Please say you forgive me?"

I kissed his eye where a huge bruise was forming. "There is nothing to forgive. Crazy-evil Dad is going to be locked away for a long time, meaning we get to start afresh, yes?"

He pulled a timid Tudor-smirk and nodded. "If you'll have me?"

I scrunched up my face in mock contemplation. "Ah, what the hell. I'm a sucker for muscles and tattoos!"

He laughed out loud and tilted his head, gazing at me in unguarded affection. "God, I love you."

Now that's something I'm not going to get tired of hearing!

Chapter 26

No Rain, No Rainbow