I touched her chin, bringing her eyes back to mine. “Don’t ever say such a thing. You’re a beautiful person. We all have scars. Some we can see and others we can’t. Wear those with pride. You went through something so horrible and survived it, Race.”
Tears started to form again and threatened to fall. “I’ve been in therapy,” she said, swallowing back the tears.
“Good.”
“She’s helped me.”
“I’m proud of you.” I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’ve missed you,” I said against her skin. “Are you healed?”
“Almost.” She sighed. “I talked with a plastic surgeon, and I’ll always have them.”
“Scars don’t scare me.” I wanted to take her pain away, remove the scars from her body, and put them on my own. I could live with them, but Race had been through so much already. “Can I see them?”
She sat up and stared at me. “Not yet, Morgan. I’m not ready for anyone to see them.”
I nodded. “When you’re ready. Promise me you won’t disappear again. If you do, I won’t let you hide.”
“I won’t.”
“Come here.” I pulled her toward me and laid her head on my chest. “I want to hold you for a little while.” I reclined our bodies, placing her on top of me as I spread out on the couch.
She relaxed into me, toying with my shirt. I closed my eyes, feeling her warmth.
I didn’t care if she kissed me or if we had sex. I just wanted to hold her.
When I woke, I watched her sleep. Tiny snores fell from her lips as she inhaled through her nose, followed by a tiny puff of air coming out of her mouth.
Her top had shifted while we’d slept, exposing the edge of the scars near the center of her chest.
They were faint, much lighter than I had expected.
I pushed her top back and traced the lines, feeling their smoothness under my fingertips.
Leaning forward, I touched my lips to the one above her left breast and kissed it. She stirred, and I stilled, trying to avoid waking her.
“Morgan,” she whispered.
I glanced up, my lips still against her freshly healed wound. “Sorry I woke you,” I murmured against her skin.
“What are you doing?” she said before she yawned.
“I wanted to kiss you.”
She shifted, trying to move away from me.
I held her tighter, looking up at her. “I wanted to see, Race. I couldn’t stop from touching them.”
She stiffened. “Why?”
“They’re part of you. I never want to forget that I almost lost you.”
“But they’re ugly,” she said as her lip trembled.
“No, they’re not. I love every inch of your body,” I said, and I laid my lips upon the very spot she hated most.
“I don’t know how you can look at me.”
“There isn’t a spot on your body I wouldn’t kiss. Everything about you is beautiful.”
