Chapter 630

• He caught up in seconds as she stalked toward the road, pulling her back into him and spinning her around to face him, tear-stained and all, and it just hit him in the stomach like a punch. He could never handle Emma crying; she rarely did it, and he felt like the biggest dickhead on the planet when she did. He hated seeing her cry. It wounded him in ways he could never explain.
• She tried to fight him off angrily sobbing, but he folded her into his embrace, pushing his face into her hair and cradling her so she couldn’t get away, trying to soothe her.
• “I’m sorry … Emma, stop … Emma. I’m sorry.” His voice was raw and strained. She kept fighting but was losing against his sheer size and strength. She was no match. He just held her close, stopping her outbursts and trying to cuddle her in until she finally began to slump and give up the effort. Finally stilling in his arms, silently crying against him yet not cuddling him back. He knew if he let her go, she would still walk off.