The fluffiness of my happy-goodness cloud got exponentiallyfluffier, but still, I said, “I got an earful of stories tonight.”
I knew by the light in his eyes he knew what stories I wastalking about, even if he asked, “Yeah?”
“Indy was living with Lee the first day her troublesstarted.He was living with her a couple of weeks later when they were done,and that was it.They’ve never been apart since.Much the same with Jet, Roxie,Jules, Ava—”
“I was around for all this, babe.”
“Is that what’s happening with us?”
He shrugged a single broad shoulder.“Naturally.”
“Should I be worried this is going so fast?”
I could tell he was fighting laughter when he replied,“Again, we disagree that three hundred and sixty-five times eighteen is fast.”
“This is different, Darius, and you know it.”
Something shifted in him.I could feel it in his body, and Icould see it on his face.
This wasn’t lighthearted, after-sex talk, even if that talkwas about a wedding.
Now this was something very different.
“I was your first.Was I your only?”
“Yes,” I answered truthfully, if a bit mortifyingly, butthat mortification flew out the window with the hot flash of possession thatsparked in his eyes, making those long, long,longdry spells totallyworthit.
“You weren’t my first.But after you, you were my only.”
Wait.
What?
Oh.
My.
God.
“Darius—”
“It’s me for you, it’s you for me.You were right all thoseyears ago, Malia.We were meant to be.Not one woman would put up with what Iput you through, grasping hold of the shit ton of love she has for me to gether through, except you.No other woman would wait for me to sort out myfucked-up life so I could come to her clean and redeemed.Except you.Part ofme burns.I hate it that you gave up so much of your life waiting for me.Butthe rest of me, babe, the rest of me knows, if I didn’t know I had your brandof love waiting for me, I’d still be in that life.I’d be lost to it.I’d besomeone no one would want to know.I would have lost everything.My mom.Mysisters.My brothers.Everything.”
My heart was beating wildly as I refuted, “That isn’t true.Everyone believed in you.Everyone, Darius.Indy.Ally.Lee.Eddie.Your mom.My mom and dad—”
“That means a lot, Malia, but you know.”He dipped his faceto mine.“You know, it was you who saw me through.You and Liam.”
“Oh no!”I exclaimed, because they were coming so fast, Icouldn’t hold them back, so I covered my face with my hands to hide them.
Darius wrapped his fingers around my wrists and pulled themaway.
“No hiding,” he growled.“No burying this emotion.You knowit.Don’t you?”
I shook my head, fighting his hold on my wrists.
“I saw myself in your eyes every time I was with you,” hepushed.“The only time I felt like me was when I was with you.You grounded me.You anchored me tome.”
“Stop it,” I pleaded.
