“The only way we’ll walk away is if you tell us you don’t want this,” he murmurs, peering into my eyes. “Do you want us, Isla? Yes or no?”
“Yes, but—”
His thumb settles over my lips.
“Do you want to stay with us? Yes or no?”
I hesitate. Not because I don’t know or because I don’t, but I know he’s going to stop me if I try to explain.
“Yes or no, baby?” he presses.
I exhale heavily. “Yes, but if you’ll—”
He stops me again and I have to refrain from biting him.
“Nothing else matters. We love you. We have for a long fucking time. We’re committed to this and to you. We’re not going anywhere.”
The air rushes from my lungs in a whoosh like he’d punched me in the sternum.
“What did you say?”
He sweeps back a lock of hair off my temple. “We’re committed—”
“No, before that.”
His head cocks and he feigns innocence. “We have for a long fucking—”
“Dom!”
Even to my own ears, my voice is whiny, but my heart is going so fast, I swear I’m seconds from having a stroke.
“Stop teasing her,” Nick mutters around a grin.
Chuckling, Dom drops his mouth over mine in a slow, delicious kiss that curls my toes.
“We love you.”
When was the last time anyone said that to me? I think my grandma, before she passed. Even past boyfriends never got to that point. I never let them.
A deep part of me knows I should cut this off now before it gets too late, but it’s fighting against a ballooning feeling I’ve never felt before and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Everything inside me is too much.
Too big.
Too heavy, but light.
I’m floating and drifting and sinking. I want to laugh and cry.
I want to run.
I want to stay and hold onto this moment forever. Until they realize they’d made a mistake and…
“Hey.” Nick tips my chin up with one finger. “Breathe.”
I hadn’t realized I wasn’t and the air leaves me in a jagged sob.
“Are... are you sure?” I sniffle like an idiot, but I’m too far gone to care. “Did you talk about this? You can take it back…”
“No one’s taking anything back,” Nick informs me. “You’re ours, Isla. I don’t care how many times we have to remind you, but we will. Every day if necessary. We’ll get it tattooed if that’s what will make you realize that we’re not going anywhere. Ever,” he stresses when I open my mouth.
