“Cecilia knew.”You idiot! Why the hell would you say that?! I thought it, yes, but it wasn’t supposed to come out. Ugh! How to ruin a night with one comment.
He pulls away and sits up to look at me with a frown. “Em, where is this coming from?”
I look down at my hands in my lap as I play with my nails, simply giving him a shrug.Why do I feel so insecure around him? I hate this.
He places his finger under my chin and forces me to look at him. “Talk to me, what’s going on? You’ve been different all week, ever since I mentioned going to dinner with them.”
“Are you sure about this? About us, I mean. Is this really what you want? Or is it just convenient for you since I’m taking care of Gracie…”
“Why the hell would you even ask that?” He looks both furious and hurt all at once.
“Because you told me you loved her, Grey. How am I just supposed to forget that? How do I know you don’t still feel that way? How do I know you don’t wish I was her every time we’re together? What if you’re just with me because I’m the next best option since she’s not available?”
A tightness forms in my throat as my nose prickles and eyes become misty. I turn my head swiftly to the side, forcing him to let go of my chin. Looking up at the fairy lights, I blink rapidly, banishing the tears away.
“By trusting me, that’s how you’re supposed to know, Bunny. And don’t ever compare me to those who have wronged you in the past. You’re not my second choice, Em. You’re my first. And I told you IthoughtI was in love with her, but now I know I was wrong.”
I turn back to him, seeing the pain in his eyes that my accusations have caused.I don’t want to doubt this. I don’t want to doubt what we have. But I can’t help how scared I am that I’ll end up hurt again.
“How can you be so sure?” It comes out barely above a whisper.
He cups my face in a loving way. “Because what I thought I felt for her doesn’t even compare to how I feel about you, Emma.Yes, our relationship was unexpected. If you had asked me a year ago if I saw this ever happening, I would have laughed and said no. But now that I know you, now that I really see you, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I wouldn’t want anything else, or anyone else. Just you.”
A tear rolls down my cheek as he wipes it away like he always does. “I’m sorry I said that. That I doubted us,” I tell him sincerely.
“It’s normal to have doubts, Em,” he says softly. “This is all still scary, even to me. But I love what we have. You, me, and Gracie. I love coming home to find you loving my daughter. I love when you send me silly pictures of you two together. I even love those stupid mugs you buy me every week, and I don’t want any of that to change.” He chuckles, then smiles tenderly.
“But I don’t live in that cute mind of yours, so when you feel an ounce of doubt, no matter how silly it may be, just talk to me. And we’ll figure it out together.” He presses his forehead to mine, pecking my lips once.
“I love buying you those stupid mugs, too. You should see your face every time you find a new one. I really need to invest in a hidden camera.” I laugh, then suck in my lips when he gives me that annoyed expression he loves to shoot my way.
“Bunny, I’m trying to be serious here, and you're not even listening to a word I'm saying.”
“Of course I am; I just talked about the mugs. Areyoulistening?”
He chuckles with his eyes closed. “You’re crazy.”
“Your favorite kind of crazy?” I beam.
“My favorite.” He leans closer and licks the side of my face, making me squeal and push him away. He doesn’t let me get far though, grabbing my waist and licking every inch of exposed skin he can find.
“Okay, okay! Enough playing around. I’m hungry. Feed me,” I say, laughing.
“I got something you can eat right here. And look, there’s even something for me, too.” He climbs on top of me, pressing his length against my core.
“Naughty, naughty Wolf. Feed me some real food, and then we’ll get to dessert.” I push against his chest to get him off.
“Fine.” He gets on all fours and makes his way out of the fort.
“Such a good boyfriend, making sure his lady doesn’t starve to death,” I shout after him.
“A very dramatic lady,” he yells back from the kitchen.
I giggle to myself, throwing my arms above my head as I lie on the furry blanket and wait for Grey to come back, finally feeling better about us. He comes back a few minutes later with a huge tray lined with three different kinds of pizza, all heart-shaped.
“Aw, Grey! How did you get these?”
“I made them.”
