“Stop!” I laugh. “Rowan!”
His laugh overpowers mine but he relents and buries his face in my neck. “I want to make you smile like that everyday. If I don’t make you laugh like that at least once a day, I want you to leave me.”
I snort. “Shut up. I’m never leaving you.”
“And I’m never leaving you,” he whispers against my pulse, an eternal promise he’s giving to my heart.
My heart takes it and locks it away.
“Saranghae,Rowan,” I breathe, my heart beating to those words.
CHAPTER 41
Natalia
Today, I opened an hour later than I normally do so I could go to therapy. which Rowan insists on taking me to now. He’s been doing it every week for the past three weeks—dropping me off and picking me up.
I pretend it annoys me, but we both know I’m a shitty actress. The car rides to and from are some of my favorite moments with him, even if all we are is silent with our hands interlocked on his or my lap.
It was a last minute call, but I knew I needed it after aroughnight.
Lately, I’ve spent almost every night with Rowan. And on those nights, I never feel sadder than I usually do.Instead, it’s just peace.
However, last night was an exception. I couldn’t understand it, and it was so sudden it felt like whiplash.
I cried, desperately missing my dads and feeling like a stranger in my skin. Rowan, my angel, held me all night. We watched our comfort movies as we stayed utterly silent. Justknowing he was with me was enough to settle me. All I ever really need with Rowan is time together—it’s my favorite thing. Lucky me that it is his favorite thing too.
Loving him has shown me that I’ve never really needed much. That, maybe, I’m not as hard to love as I always believed. I’ve only ever needed time with the people I love and who love me, even if it’s silent, while we sit in the same room.
Rowan does that with me. He makes love look so easy, and the way I love him?Easy.
I’m so disgustingly, sickeningly, beautifully happy. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it’s all mine—all of this is for me. He loves me and I love him back—beyond measure. And sometimes, it’s hard to believe I deserve any of it, but I do. I know that—I’mlearningthat.
I deserve love like this—love likehis.
And I can’t wait to see him today.
Is it weird to miss someone you saw only two hours ago?
The bell above the door chimes.
Speak of the devil…
Rowan is right on time and I grin all silly as I write his name and order on a paper cup in my purple sharpie. I add a heart after the “N” and begin his latte. I cap his coffee and heat up his buttered croissant.
He struts right toward the counter all tall and broad and beautiful. His eyes find mine, and he smirks. “Morning, sweetheart.”
My body flushes. I love that he is the only one who can do this to me—elicit this kind of bodily reaction. “Morning.”
His hands press flat on the counter and he leans over, reaching for my lips. I meet him half-way and give him a soft,careful kiss. Always a soft, careful kiss unless I want him to do me over this counter.
Another day…
“Hmm,” he hums against my lips, his tongue parting my lips for a deeper greeting. “Missed you.”
“You dropped me off,” I say.
“So?”
