Page 54 of Find Me Under the Stars
“Charlotte…” I trail off, speechless.
“Don’t,” she snaps at me, and I flinch at the whiplash of emotion coming from her.
For a second, I saw my Charlotte, the one with no walls. But now, she’s built them back up. I hate that anything exists between us.
She rubs her head, and my heart constricts at the look on her face. She looks so vulnerable and so broken. I hate that she feels that way.
“You look beautiful.” The softened words leave my lips without thought.
Her stare flicks up to me harshly. “Don’t say that.”
Hesitantly, I take a step toward her and say, “Don’t tell you that I think you’ve never looked more beautiful than you do right now?”
“Stop,” she whimpers, her voice cracks, and the walls between us start falling to pieces.
I take another step toward her. “I’ve never doubted that you’re going to be my wife. I’ve never doubted that I want to spend every day for the rest of our lives together. I’ve never doubted that it’s you I’m meant to be with.” Closing the distance between us, I cage my arms around her and grab the railing her back is now arching against. “I didn’t doubt it then, and I don’t doubt it now. Whatever you’re going through, we’ll get through it together. Nothing will ever, ever fucking change the way I feel for you.”
She heaves and sobs as the river of tears continues to stream down her cheeks. “I don’t want to hurt you…”
“Being apart from you is the only thing that will hurt me, baby. In every life and in every circumstance, no matter how long our love story lasts, I will choose you, and I will love you,” I tell her because it’s true.
We are meant to be together. We always have been. And we always will be. Nothing will change that.
“Please stop,” she cries out.
I want to kiss away every single tear, but I’m not pushing that boundary just yet.
“Do you love me?” I ask her and hold my breath.
I know she does. She wouldn’t act this way if she didn’t. But she could still lie and tell me no. And never give me another chance. I need to hear her say it.
“Reed,” she whimpers again, looking down at my chest.
Taking my hand off of the railing, I place it under her chin and lift it up, forcing her beautiful eyes to look at me.
“Do you love me, Charlotte?” I ask her again. My eyes burn and start to blur with tears.
“Reed,” she cries, and her eyes fall to my lips.
“Tell me you still love me,” I whisper as I lower my head, hovering my lips above hers. “Tell me you love me.” My body tingles from my head to my toes, being this close to her again. “Tell me, Charlotte. Tell me you love m—”
She crashes her lips into mine and grabs my face, pulling me further into her. I freeze, just for the slightest of seconds before I realize what is happening, and I lose it, cupping her face in my hands.
Kissing her back is like the first breath of fresh air that I have had in weeks, and I can’t get enough of her. My tongue swipes her bottom lip, and she moans into my mouth. The sound and vibration of her whimper light my body up like a bolt of electricity. I never want this to fucking stop.
Her lips part, and I take full fucking advantage. My tongue teases hers, and she reciprocates even more ferociously.
As much as I don’t want this to ever end, I pull my lips away and roll my forehead against hers. I need her words.
“Tell me you love me,” I groan into her parted and slightly swollen lips.
Her eyes flicker open, and she looks up at me, pulling away just enough so we can really look into each other’s eyes.
I’ve never seen a battle so intense in someone’s stare before. I wish I knew what in the hell was scaring her so bad that she would push me so far away. That the potential of even being with me has her torn.
“Charlotte, it doesn’t matter if we aren’t together. It doesn’t matter if we are miles or countries apart. It doesn’t matter how much time passes. People scour the earth to find more in this life; they crave a purpose for their existence and a reason to live. You are my more. You are my purpose. You are my every reason. Forever. Always.”
A mix between a sob and a shriek leaves her, and she gasps before crying out, “Of course I love you! I love you more now than I did yesterday and the day before, and I will continue to love you more and more until my last breath. Forever. Always.”
