I take a breath and try to find the words that will make her understand.
“I don’t remember everything I said last night. The concussion made things fuzzy. But there’s one thing I know for absolute certain.” I rest my forehead against hers. “I love you, Juliette. And I know you’re mad at me. I know you’re scared. I know you’re not sure you can trust me again. But I would do anything to prove to you that you’re it for me.”
She’s blinking away tears.
“From the moment I saw you skating alone at that rink, teaching those kids with more patience than they deserved, I was gone. From the first moment you told me to basically fuck off when Itried to talk to you, I was gone. Every moment since then has just been me falling harder, deeper, until I can’t remember what it felt like before you.”
A tear spills over and tracks down her cheek.
“I fucked up. I should have told you about the coffee. Should have been honest. But I swear to god, Juliette, I didn’t cheat. Would never cheat. You’re the only person I see. The only person I want. And I will spend however long it takes proving that to you.”
She’s crying now, but she’s smiling too.
“You’re such an idiot,” she says through the tears.
“Your idiot.”
“My idiot.” She laughs wetly. “I love you too, you big goon.”
The words hit me square in the chest, stop my heart, start it again.
“What?”
“I love you.” She’s laughing and crying at the same time. “I love you even though you’re ridiculous and you made me wake you up every two hours and you rambled about my shampoo.”
“Best night of my life.”
“You have a brain injury.”
“Don’t care. You love me.” I pull her up and kiss her properly. Deep and slow and full of everything I can’t put into words. “Nothing else matters.”
When we come up for air, she’s still smiling. The real smile. The one that takes over her whole face.
“We’re okay?” I ask. Need to hear her say it.
“We’re getting there.” She touches my face gently. “You hurt me. But I believe you about Sienna. About everything. And I want to try. Want to make this work.”
“I’ll prove it to you every single day. I’ll be so fucking transparent you’ll get sick of me.”
“I won’t get sick of you.”
“You might. I’m very annoying when I’m in love.”
“I’ll risk it.”
I kiss her again because I can, because she loves me, because she’s giving me another chance and I’m not going to waste it.
“Can we sleep now?” she asks against my lips. “For real this time? No more alarms?”
“One more at eight. Just to be safe.”
“Fine. But after that we’re sleeping until noon.”
I laugh and pull her back down against my chest. She fits there perfectly, like she was designed specifically to slot into this space against my heart.
“Thank you,” I say into her hair.
“For what?”
