The Bound Between Us

Chapter 913

Anastasia was scared-no, she was flat-out panicking.

If something happened to her, fine. But if something happened to Herman? She couldn't take that. Lately, she'd been keeping her distance, not just out of nerves, but because she'd been feeling oddly itchy, a constant irritation that wouldn't quit no matter how hard she scratched.

She was terrified she'd caught something-something bad.

Lost and desperate, she blurted, "Come on, let's go get cleaned up."

She reached for his hand, but the second she remembered what she might have, she pulled back, guilt and fear twisting inside her.

Herman caught every bit of it-the fear, the anxious edge, the way she shrank away. He felt like his heart was being squeezed in a vice. His girl was trapped in this whirlwind of panic and pain. That smile she managed earlier? It was just a flicker, a trick of the light.

He'd do anything to make that smile last.

“Anastasia,” he said, his voice gentle and steady, hands resting on her shoulders, "listen to me. We're married. We're in this together. Don't push me away."

He pressed his forehead to hers, grounding her, trying to slow her racing thoughts.

"Let's stop torturing ourselves, okay? Life's short. How many years do we even get together? Three, five, ten, twenty... Eventually, we'll both be old, and if we miss out now, we'll never get that time back." He tried to pull her into a hug, but the ridiculous orange mascot costume he was still wearing got in the way.

Anastasia shook her head, tears streaming down. "Herman, you big dummy, what if you catch something from me? I'm... dirty..."

cutting her off. "You took some pills, remember? You can't even be

lie. He hadn't been in that cave, had no idea what had actually happened. All he could

Anastasia's heart. She wanted so badly to believe

was just wishful

what she was feeling, there

struggling to get

me, sweetheart," Herman said, voice soft as ever.

quiet. Outside, the night sky was scattered with

small, gentle smile

so many regrets. I hadn't loved you enough, hadn't shown you the world, hadn't gotten to grow old with you, hadn't watched

but Anastasia could hear the

what he went through during that disaster -how close he'd come to

blurred with

gently wiped her cheeks, and kept going. "I was terrified back then. Scared I'd never get to hold you again. Anastasia, when it comes down to it, nothing really matters except life and death. Everything else

She'd been through life and death herself,

you're that close to the edge, all you want is to live. Just being alive is the biggest wish

world really

at the sky, then at Herman, and

had-people could only