“No one has ever chosen me,” she admits. “Not when it truly mattered.”
The pang in my chest hits like a puck to the chest. She presses her forehead to mine again.
“I want to be with you. I promise it’s not because I’m scared or because it’s what feels easy.”
The breath I let out feels like it’s been stuck in my chest for years.
“I love you,” she whispers.
Hearing her say it back does something to me I can’t quite explain.
I pull her in, kissing her harder this time, like I need her to feel it. She melts into me, her arms wrapping around my neck, holding me there like she doesn’t want to let go.
I ease her down onto the mattress, following her as my hands roam slowly over her sides and hips, taking my time, like I’m relearning every inch of her.
When we strip out of our clothes and I settle between her thighs, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with her.
Her legs wrap around my waist, pulling me closer, our bodies grinding together until I’m desperate for more. I need to feel her, to claim her as mine.
My hand slips between us, brushing over her pussy. We both moan in unison. She’s so wet for me, lifting her hips and aching for more. She trembles as I line myself up at her entrance.
When I finally thrust into her, it’s slow and deep. Her moans echo around my room, her nails dragging over my skin. I press my forehead to hers, holding her gaze. “I love you.”
She responds with another kiss. It’s deeper this time, her hands gripping my shoulders as she holds me closer.
And in that moment, with her beneath me and her arms wrapped around me, I know one thing with absolute certainty.
Nothing about this was ever meant to be temporary.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Brinley
The scent of flowers hits me the second I step out of the bathroom. It takes me a second to place it.
Then I notice them.
A bouquet of white lilies sits on the nightstand, with a note tucked beside it.
I move toward the bed, tugging at the hem of Cooper’s shirt I pulled back on after washing my face and brushing my teeth. I sit on the edge before reaching for the note.
For my love.
Went to grab us some coffee. Be back soon.
— C
A smile tugs at my mouth before I can stop it. He must’ve come up here after breakfast.
I trace my thumb along the edge of the paper for a second before setting it back down beside the vase. The room is quiet, the boxers I put on after my bath last night still thrown on the floor.
I bend to pick them up, stepping into them before climbing back onto the bed.
My phone sits next to the note and the flowers.
I stare at it for a second before picking it up.
There’s a call I’ve been avoiding. Before I can talk myself out of it, I tap on “Mom” to dial her and hit the speaker button. It rings twice before she answers.
