Unwanted (The Unlucky Ones, #1)

by Marley Valentine

I wasn’t ready to leave. I would never admit it out loud, but I wasn’t ready to walk away from my family again. I loved the way we were all rallying behind Lennox. I loved the comfort between us, and, most of all, I loved that I could see Arlo every day.

“You’re not different,” he says. My own hands drop and find purchase on his hips as he slides his up my chest and neck, moving to cup my jaw. “You’re finally exactly who you were meant to be.”

Arlo and I were a match made in heaven on paper, we’d just pit stopped in hell first.

“I love your broken.” He rubs his thumb over my lips and kisses me gently. “I love your wronged.” He kisses me again, this time a little firmer. “And I love your selfish.” With nothing but love in his eyes, he pushes some wayward hairs out of my face and smiles at me softly. “I love you, Arlo. Every part of you. The things you love about yourself and especially the things you hate. I love them all.” Cradling his face, I try to stop the tears from streaming down the side of my face and fail. “I don’t know how you can love me.” He wipes the corners of my eyes. “You don’t need to know how. You just need to know that I do. And the only thing that matters is… Do you love me back?”

“When I saw him in the hospital, I was reminded of my own accidental overdose.” When Frankie realizes I’m not looking at him, he turns to where my eyes are focused and we both watch the horror dance across each of their faces. “It was the worst time in my life, because in order for me to start my road to recovery, the love of my life had to let me go. And I hated him for it.”