I love that man or I wouldn’t be going to Dallas, would I?
Pausing, I stare at myself and test it out. “I love you, Tyrell.”
My eyes instantly glass, the ghost of Atlas wilting beside me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m sorry it ended up this way, but you left me.” I sniff. “I asked you to walk away, and you wouldn’t. You told me to fuck off.”
Slashing a tear off my cheek, I keep gazing at my reflection.
“Tyrell would never do that to me. And I’m sorry that you’re not here anymore, but he is. And he loves me.” I swallow, this feeling blooming in my chest when I whisper. “And I love him.”
And holy shit, I mean it.
I do.
I love him.
A smile crests my lips, this buzz illuminating the room around me as I finally let go and take a giant leap into my future.
“I love him.” My smile grows a little wider, excitement racing through me when I hear a knock at the door.
Tyrell only left an hour ago. He needed to go home and change for the party, and I wanted to shower up and make myself pretty.
“You’re always pretty,” he assured me before kissing my lips and trailing his fingers across my stomach.
I watched his very fine ass walk out my door before jumping into a hot shower.
Now I’m ready to go, and as I step out of my room and watch him appear behind Jed, my insides trill again.
I love you.It’s tempting to blurt it right now, but I want it to be special. So I’m saving up those three little words until the timing is right.
I’ll be cocooned in his embrace, and then they’ll slip out of me. He can drift off to sleep knowing how much I mean it. In the morning, we’ll wake up together, drink coffee, and both be buzzing as we open this next chapter of our new lives.
“Hey.” I smile up at him.
“Hey, beautiful,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Okay, before you guys go.” Tobin pulls us apart with his bright voice. “Oooo! Tinker Bell! You fine, girl.”
Nix swans out of her bedroom door, doing a little spin in her dress.
She does look fine.
Wow.
That thing must be painted on.
She dips her knees, then adjusts the barely-there straps and blushes red.
She obviously has no idea what to do with compliments, and Tobin snickers at her expression.
“What time is Ricky picking you up?” Jed asks.
“Oh, he’s meeting me there. He had some stuff he had to do.”
“We’ll take you.” I point between Tyrell and me.
“I was counting on it.” She winks at us, and I grin, leaning into Tyrell’s side when he tucks his arm around my waist.
