I take a breath. “We decorated the tree. Talked. Went swimming. And then... he asked me to sleep next to him. Just sleep. Nothing else.”
Rosalie's quiet for a beat. “That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard.”
“Really?”
“Liberty, that man could have you in every way possible, and he's choosing just to hold you? To make you feel safe first? That's...” She makes a noise that sounds suspiciously like she's tearing up. “That's everything.”
My throat tightens. “I'm terrified.”
“Of him?”
“No. Never him.” I glance at the door again. “Of this being real. Of wanting it too much. Of Justice losing his mind and ruining everything before it even starts.”
“Justice will come around. He just needs to process that his baby sister is a grown woman who gets to make her own choices. Even if those choices involve his teammate.”
“What if?—”
“No what-ifs. Not tonight. Tonight you're in a magical cave with a man who clearly adores you. Let yourself have this, Lib. You deserve it.”
Tears prick my eyes. “I don't know how.”
“Yes, you do. You're already doing it.” Her voice softens. “Now I'm going to let you go before Spence comes back and wonders why you're crying. But Liberty? I'm really happy for you.”
“Thank you. For everything. I love you, sis.”
We say goodbye, and I set the phone down with shaking hands. The music's still playing, the room is surreal, and my heart hurts it feels so big.
Feeling the weight of everything, I drop my face into my hands, trying to breathe through the sudden rush of emotion.
I jerk my head up to find Spence in the doorway, his expression worried, eyes searching my face with an intensity that steals my breath.
“I'm fine,” I say automatically, but my voice cracks on the words.
He's across the room in three strides, kneeling beside the bed so we're at eye level. His hands frame my face, thumbs brushing away tears I didn't realize had fallen.
“Talk to me.”
CHAPTER 20
Her eyes are wet, lashes clumped together. The way she looks at me causes something in my chest to crack wide open.
“Hey,” I murmur, brushing my thumbs across her cheekbones. “What's going on?”
She shakes her head, trying to smile through it.
“Talk to me.”
With a sigh, she looks down at her hands. “I'm... processing. Rosalie called. She was teasing me about us being alone.”
“Is that all?” I ask, stroking her jawline.
For a beat, Liberty won't meet my eyes.
“You can speak your mind, Liberty. You're safe with me. You thoughts. Emotions. Anything you want to say is perfect.
After a small headshake, she meets my gaze. “Rosalie was being nice. But I felt sort of cornered. There's so much pressure around this. Around us. What if I said the wrong thing?”
Liberty said,us.
