“And you breaking up with me broke me, Bailey, in a way I don’t ever want to go through again.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, pressing little kisses all over his face. “I was trying to do the right thing, but hurting you was hard. And I kept going back and forth about hunting you down and taking it all back.” She began to sniffle. “It’s hard being noble.”
“Bailey, I love you. That means more to me than getting justice for what was done to me. Don’t you see? Loving you has shown me that there are only a few things in life that I need to survive in this world.”
“Oh, Landon. I’m so grateful you came here. How did you know that I was lying to you?”
A little smile played around his lips. “I honestly couldn’t believe that text you sent. I really questioned it, but my heart was so shattered I was numb. Until your sister Gemma came to see me.”
“Gemma talked to you?” Bailey was shocked. It wasn’t like Gemma to interfere in her love life. But then again, Gemma knew that Bailey had never been in love before.
“She did,” he said with a nod. “Thankfully she told me what you’d done. And I’m so grateful, because now I know how you really feel about me. About us. And there’s nothing standing in our way.” He swept his hand across her cheek.
“Are you sure about California?” Bailey asked. She needed to be sure.
“Bailey, I don’t need California to be happy, but I do need you.”
Those words were magic to her ears. He’d just said everything she needed to hear.
“I love you, Landon Stone,” she said, “and I want to spend all my Christmases with you.”
Landon leaned down and swept a kiss over Bailey’s lips. She couldn’t believe how she’d ended up with this incredible man, who loved her like nobody’s business. She wasn’t going to take this love for granted. She would nurture it each and every day. It was like Hattie always said… YOLO.
