Lucy nods, her eyes meeting mine briefly before glancing back down to Isla. “How about you finish up while I get changed, and then we can read a story?”
“Can we read the one with the dragon?”
“Absolutely.”
Isla and I finish the last ten minutes of the movie and head upstairs. I stand in Isla’s bedroom doorway as Lucy reads some story about dragons and tacos, watching as Isla’s eyes begin to flutter closed.
“All right, love,” Lucy whispers. “Sleep tight.”
Lucy comes to a stand and makes her way toward me, barefoot in one of my old shirts, her hand curled protectively around the swell of her stomach.
“Come on,” she says softly, gesturing toward the stairs. “Let’s go downstairs.”
I nod, following her. Lucy slips out the back door into the late summer night, and I trail behind her onto the porch. The air smells faintly of pine and the wet earth from the recent rain.
She stops at the railing, and I can’t tear my eyes away. I want to reach out and tell her how much she matters, how much she makes me want to be better. Instead, I stay rooted to the spot, committing every detail to memory. The curve of her cheek, the soft line of her jaw, the faint glimmer of light in her eyes. She’s mesmerizing. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure she knows how much she’s wanted here.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
“I know,” she whispers.
“I just… You’ve been so sick, and you’re finally starting to feel like yourself again. And I—God, Lucy, I didn’t want to drag you back into the mess when it’s something I can handle.”
“I get that,” she says, nodding slowly. She turns to face me. “I really do.” Then her eyes meet mine. “But Aidan, I don’t want to be protected from my own life.”
Well, fuck.
“I want to be in it with you,” she says, voice trembling. “Even when it’s messy.Especiallywhen it’s messy.”
I don’t deserve her. Not for a single second.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my voice rough. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were on the outside. That’s never,ever, where I want you.”
Her brow furrows, lips parting like she wants to say something but doesn’t quite know how.
“If we’re going to do this,” she says finally, “then it has to be honest. I need you to include me in everything, Aidan. And I do mean everything. No hiding things, no deciding on your own what I can or cannot handle. I’m not some bystander inourfamily’s life.”
Her voice softens, but the conviction doesn’t waver. “If we can’t do it that way, then…we’re setting ourselves up to fail. I love you far too much to let that happen.”
She’s giving me a chance to fix this,to do this right.
“You’re right, lass,” I say. “I promise. From now on, nothing between us is off-limits.”
Lucy’s eyes hold mine. “I need to know I’m truly part of this family. Not just the woman who lives here and loves everyone.”
The moonlight catches on her face, illuminating the strength there. God help me, I’ve never wanted to kiss her more than I do right now.
“You’re so much more than that,” I say, my voice dropping to a whisper.
Her chin lifts slightly. “Then start showing me. Don’t just tell me.”
That’s it. I can’t hold back anymore. I close the distance between us, one hand sliding to the small of her back while the other cradles her jaw. I pause, just for a heartbeat, searching her eyes to make sure I’m not asking for forgiveness she’s not ready to give.
“My heart—my whole life—it’s yours. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve been stupid, but none of it changes this.” My voice roughens. “Every beat of my heart I’ve got left belongs to you, Lucy. Always you.”
Her breath ghosts my lips, and I don’t wait another second. I lean in, pouring all the words I can’t say into the press of my mouth against hers. She leans into me like I’m something steady. God help me, she’s too good, too bright, for someone who’s spent years hiding behind walls he built himself. I don’t deserve the way she kisses me, slow and trusting, like she believes I could be better than the mess I am.
When we break apart, she rests her forehead against my chest. “I’m a little mad at you, you know.”
