“I prayed for you. Did you know that? Of course not. I’ve prayed for him to have someone like you since before we left foster care. Maybe it was a selfish prayer. I didn’t want to have to worry about Blake out here. And now you are here—an answer to prayer—and I resent you,” he said. His eyes held an ominous contempt that eerily reminded Livia of Eve the RoboBlonde.”

“Blake rubbed Livia’s cheekbones gently with his thumbs. “I can’t believe you came for me. My brave Livia.” He kissed her lips and looked concerned. “You’re bleeding.”“I’m fine, Blake, but we have to get out of here. Some of Beckett’s enemies are after you.” Livia stroked his bruised face.“Then why are you out here?” he asked, eyes instantly angry.Livia gave the perfect answer. “This is the only place I knew I’d get to see you.”

“Come home with me. I can’t leave you here like this.” This time her voice cracked.“My angel, you forget, you have to go make Mrs. Grandma her meal.” Blake ran the back of his bandaged hand down Livia’s cheek.“Please. I won’t be able to breathe from worrying about you.” Livia didn’t care how crazy she sounded.“I don’t think that’s prudent. I don’t want you bringing me home like a stray cat.” His defenses were climbing back up. She’d asked too much.“Okay. I’ll see you Monday then?” The words felt like sandpaper on glass. Rough and unwanted.“Yes, sweet Livia. I’ll be here. Have no worries.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.”

“Livia, I’m here to say it’s okay. It’s okay if you want to leave, live a normal life, have a husband with a great job and beautiful children with your gray eyes.” His breath caught a little as he finished.Livia, just a gut feeling, but let him come to you…Listen to him. Livia stayed silent instead of rushing in with words.“I’m asking permission to watch you from a distance, just to make sure you’re safe,” Blake continued. “You won’t even know I’m there. I promise.” Blake removed his hands from her face.“Are you done?” Livia wanted to make sure.Blake stepped back and nodded as if they’d just completed a painful business transaction, like buying a coffin. Livia shook her head and launched herself at him. He caught her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She held his face like he’d just held hers. His green eyes were unsure, but a tiny spark danced within them.“Blake Hartt, I choose you. I deserve you. I want you.” Livia proved it by kissing his cold lips until they were warm.Blake laughed and pulled away to look at her with tears and rain in his eyes. “Really? Really. Really!”Livia nodded. “Absolutely.”Blake kissed Livia this time. He started out gently and then became more serious. He carried her over to the station’s brick wall and pressed her back against it. He put her feet on the ground as he grabbed a fistful of her soaking wet hair. Livia reached under his T-shirt to feel his stomach and then his chest. Blake moaned and pushed her harder against the building. But again he pulled back to look at her.“Me? I want you to be sure,” he said.“You,” Livia whispered.“Me.” His eyes were full of intent.“Always you.” Livia gave him her biggest, heartfelt smile.“Five hundred.” Blake touched her face as if she might be a mirage and smiled back only when she didn’t disappear.”

“But the things that were right about him I sort have been able to do for myself for a while now. His constant reminders used to feel like love, but now they feel like he wanted to take control of my life so I couldn’t. It hasn’t been right for me and I’ve been ignoring that. And now I think I was waiting for you. I know I was waiting for you,” Livia said as she trapped his hand against her cheek.”

“Livia stood and looked out the window. Her own eyes stared back at her. “We need to pray. Cole, say some prayers for us. Please. Healing prayers.” Livia kept her eyes on her reflection.”

“As they left, Eve watched him slide the coffee sleeve off the drink and put it in his pocket.After they’d walked a few blocks, she questioned him. “Why’d you keep the sleeve?”Blake pulled out the cardboard and looked down at it. “Just to remember I could do it.”Eve grabbed it from him quickly, ripped it in half, and threw it in a trashcan on the sidewalk. Blake held his hands up and gave her a What the hell? look.“Don’t tie your success to anything other than what’s inside you.” She stepped up to him and gently patted his heart. “You did this, Blake. You. Not the coffee, not me, not Livia. You did this.”