“She’s wrong, baby,” Tyson said, cutting into the escalating spiral of my fears as if he’d somehow read my mind. He wrapped his arms around me and then picked me up completely, squeezing me so tight that I couldn’t breathe for a moment before burying his face in the crook of my neck. I wrapped myself around him and held on tight, and he took a deep breath that shuddered right through him, then grabbed the back of my head with one hand and kissed me hard. “How could I ever get tired of you when I can’t ever get enough?” he asked, his voice all gravelly. “I’m so damn proud of you, sweetness.”
It felt so good to hear. He meant it. Iknewhe did. But... the ugly seed of doubt that my mother had planted wouldn’t let go.
“But, Tyson,” I said tentatively, not sure I really wanted to hear the answer but suddenly too anxious not to ask. “What if you—”
“No,” he cut me off, carrying me back inside and kicking the door shut behind us.
I swallowed. “But, someday, you might want—”
“You.”
I bit my lip, wanting so hard to believe. “But—”
“Always, Sean,” Tyson interrupted me, his hands cupping my bottom as he turned and pressed me against the door, my legs still wrapped tightly around his waist. “It’s always gonna be you.” He was smiling down at me like he really, truly meant it. And then, making my heart stutter, he added in that stern, bossy voice that always made me feel so safe, “I fuckingloveyou, baby. Quit doubting, because that’s the way it is and it’s not gonna change.”
I stopped moving, stoppedbreathing, didn’t want to do a single thing that might make him change his mind or take it back.
He didn’t.
And then... he still didn’t.
“You… you love me?” I finally asked, my heart racing. “Are you sure, Tyson?”
“Sean,” he said, shaking his head but still smiling. “’Course I’m sure. Jesus. How could I not love you? Every single thing about you is fucking perfect, and even if you change, you’re still gonna be fucking perfect, because you’re… you’remine. And because you’re you. So damn sweet I could never want anything else. Strong enough to tell your mama to fuck off but still my boy, right? Still always gonna let me take care of you. Still so damn eager to make me happy all the time, when baby, you gotta know… I’malwaysgonna want to make you happy.”
“Youdo,” I said, almost dizzy from all the nice things he was saying. They were making me feel warm and syrupy and floaty andgood. So good I almost felt guilty about it... except that my mother was out of my life now and it was really hard to feel guilty about nice things without her always looking over my shoulder, so to speak.
Which just hit me.
I’d told her to leave and she’d left.
I was… I wasfree.
“Oh my God, Tyson,” I gasped, suddenly almost giddy with excitement. “I’m in love with you, too!”
He grinned. “Thought so.”
“And… youdolove me,” I said, sort of amazed as I let it sink in.
“Yep, already called that one,” he said, squeezing my bottom and winking at me. “You need to hear it again, baby? Need me to prove it to you or something? Because for a minute there, seemed like you might not be sure.”
“No,” I said, blushing. He didn’t need to prove it. He already had. He was right now. He did every day. But then, because it was Tyson and he loved me and I knew it would be okay even if itwasa little greedy of me, I added, “But you can still say it again if you want to.”
“I’ll say it as many times as you want to hear it, Sean,” he said, letting go of my bottom so my feet slid down to the floor and then cupping my face. He wasn’t exactly smiling, but the way he was looking at me was almost better. “Love you, baby. Didn’t honestly know I had it in me, but guess that was just because I hadn’t foundyouyet.”
My eyes started to sting. Dumb, I know, because I felt so happy I could burst, but I couldn’t seem to help it.
“Nah,” Tyson said, leaning down to kiss away my tears before they could fall. “I’malwaysgonna love you, and I’m talking the till-death-do-us-part kind of always, so these aren’t required anymore, okay?”
“Okay,” I said, crying a little harder even though he’d just told me not to. I sniffled, pressing my cheek against his hand, and tried to stop.
But… forever?
Did he really mean that?
Because I wanted it more than anything. I didn’teverwant him to get tired of me.
“I think I’m going to love you forever, too,” I whispered... even though the truth was that I didn’t just think it, I knew it for sure.
