Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie) novel Chapter 463

Chapter 463 

Since we broke up, I hadn’t been this close to him. I hadn’t even really looked at him. 

And now, here he was, right in front of me, badly hurt. 

The crash came flooding back, and it hit me–he’d shielded me, using his body to protect mine. That’s why he was in such rough shape. 

“Jace, talk to me,” I begged, my voice shaky. If I stopped, he’d just drift away. 

“What… do you want me to say?” he mumbled. 

“Anything. Tell me what you’ve been thinking since we broke up. Talk about Tanya, even. Or where you’ve been these last few weeks,” I blurted, desperate to keep him awake. 

He went quiet, and I panicked, thinking he’d passed out. But then, his voice, barely a whisper: “Rea, I really do love you.” 

I froze, staring at his pale, blood–smeared face. I couldn’t say anything. 

“You were the only girl I ever really liked. Since I met you, no one else… even felt like a woman to me.” 

His words came slowly, each one hitting harder than the last. “There were women–business trips, some even tried climbing into my bed. I never told you, didn’t want you to worry… I knew how sensitive you were. 

“I stayed clean, even in my head. Escorts at events? I couldn’t stand them. Touching them would’ve tainted you.” 

He paused, then continued. “As for Tanya… I don’t know how I ended up in her mess. Maybe her act was too convincing. Maybe it was just fate trying to tear us apart…” 

His voice faded, and he tried to look at me, but his eyes wouldn’t stay open. 

The Jace I knew was always so strong, so sure of himself. Now, he was broken, vulnerable in a way I’d 

never seen. 

“Well, then I guess we just weren’t meant to be. If our love wasn’t strong enough, even fate couldn’t save us,” I said, following where his mind had gone. 

Jace looked at me for a moment before closing his eyes again. “Yeah, I guess that’s why this is my punishment.” 

“Why bring this up now?” I muttered, feeling his blood soaking through my clothes, sticking to my skin. If he kept bleeding like this, he wouldn’t make it. 

I glanced outside. Just broken branches and scattered rocks. No sign of help. 

Had Hayden sent anyone? Jace had told me to call him, which meant Hayden was our only shot at being rescued. But now the phone was gone, and I had no way to reach him. 

“Rea, I don’t think you really love Hayden. I know he’s a good guy, but… you’re only with him because of how he treats you, right?” Jace’s voice was faint. 

Lost in the moment, waiting for any sign of rescue, I mumbled a soft “Mm–hmm” without thinking. As soon as I realized what I’d just agreed to, a sharp unease settled in my gut. I opened my mouth to clarify, 

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+25 BONUS 

Chapter 463 

but then I heard it–the distinct hum of a small helicopter. 

My nerves spiked. I thought those people trying to kill us were back, scouting the area. Panic surged, and I instinctively pressed my hand over Jace’s mouth, whispering, “Don’t make a sound.”