Chapter 297

That was enough, the widened eyes of Mia, to relieve him of the ache. "Jacob, what is wrong?" she cried, trying to push him away so she would see his face.

But Jacob gripped tighter, his tears soaking into her hair. "I thought I had lost you," he whispered, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "I thought I'd never get to see you again."

Mia looked at him with soft eyes; her confusion turned to concern. "Jacob, what do you mean? I've been waiting, right here, for you to wake up."

Upon that, Jacob wailed harder and his body shook in the letting go of that fear and despair that had passed through him. Mia held him, smoothing his hair in an attempt to calm him.

Jacob felt that he would never be able to tell her about his journey as Nova, to tell her about the mission and the Sandrusians. Some secrets were just too grand and astonishing to be shared. Had he but known then that he could never really let her go again, never take the love they shared for granted.