My heart squeezes in my chest.
She looks so tired. So very alone.
But she stayed so I wouldn’t be.
The sun lifts on the horizon, and I have every inclination to sink beside Kate on this loveseat, wrap her in my arms, and sleep until next week.
But we need to talk.
Guilt rises in my stomach as I interrupt what little sleep she has had in the last twenty-four hours.
“Kate,” I whisper, giving her shoulder a tiny nudge. Her darklashes flutter before flying open. She bolts to a sitting position, gripping my hand.
“Is she okay? Did something happen?”
An exhausted corner of my mouth hitches up, and I can’t resist her any longer.
I heave myself down onto the loveseat, take her by the waist, and pull her onto my lap. Knees draped over the seat beside us, Kate rests her head against my chest.
“You didn’t answer me,” she mumbles against my black tank.
I stroke her long hair down her back. “She’s fine. I mean, she’s physically demolished, but emotionally…” I blink hard, recalling the resilience I witnessed in that hospital bed. “She’s stronger than ever.”
“She wasn’t drinking?”
I shake my head. “No. She was driving home from her sponsor’s house because she couldn’t sleep and was hit.”
Relief sags Kate’s body against mine, but then I realize she’s crying.
“Kate.” I try to pull back, but she burrows in tighter.
“I was so worried,” she chokes. “About her, about you… I wasn’t there for you last time this happened. I wanted to… This time, I wanted…” She hides her face against my chest.
“Shhh…” I resume my stroking pattern down her long hair until her body stops trembling. “I know. And I’m grateful you’re here, Kate. It means more than you realize.”
Her breathing steadies beneath my palm, but she keeps her face tucked away.
“I love you, you know,” she whispers against me.
I grow roots at the words whispered in such close proximity to my heart. They crash down through the floor, weaving and knotting themselves until I’m cemented in place with this woman in my arms. It’s an unbelievable feeling. There’s such power, such commitment in those words.
Ever so gently, I lift Kate’s head away from my chest, uncovering her beauty until it’s staring me in the face. Her full lips quiver, but she doesn’t look away.
She’s bold. She’s unafraid. She’s stunning.
I take her by the chin.
“I want you to look me in the eyes when you tell me you love me,” I say.
Her mouth quirks, but her gaze stays chained to mine.
“I love you, Brandon. I love you when you infuriate me, I love you when you tease me, and I love you when you make me feel like I can conquer anything. I made the mistake of letting insecurity drive me away before, but I’m over it. I’m not perfect, but you’re it for me. I choose you, Brandon. I’m not going anywhere.”
Moisture lines my stare, but the beat in my chest is deafening.
I shouldn’t believe her. Shouldn’t trust that a love like Kate’s will last. Shouldn’t feel worthy of that.
Only, I do.
