She looks wind-swept, as if she’s been running from something. Then she shrugs, her eyes growing wide and watery. I’m hit with the realization that something is wrong.
Her voice cracks when she speaks. “I — I didn’t know where else to go.” She sniffs, fidgeting with the gold ring on her finger. “I just … didn’t want to see anyone else but you.”
A few quick strides and I’m pulling her into me.
“What’s wrong, baby? What happened?”
She sinks into my embrace. It’s as if my arms around her were all she needed to feel safe, and my heart grows five times bigger. Wretched and used and ragged but beating, beating, beating. For her. Only for her.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now, I just —”
She nestles her head into the crook of my neck and sighs deeply, never finishing her sentence as her hands snake around my bare waist.
“I’m here,” I mutter before kissing the top of her head and hugging her even tighter. I gently caress her hair as we spend the next few moments just standing there, holding each other.
I patiently wait for her to unfurl herself out of my embrace. When she finally does, her eyes slowly slide up to meet mine, and my breath catches in my throat.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so much vulnerability staring back at me. She silently searches my gaze. For what? I don’t know. But it somehow feels right.
“Can I stay here tonight?” she asks quietly, her eyes still steadfast and thoughtful.
Her question has butterflies exploding inmy stomach. I can’t help but grin as my hands travel over her shoulders and up to her face, cradling her still-cold cheeks.
“You don’t even have to ask,” I answer softly before pressing a soft but lingering kiss on her parted lips.
Her smile is delicate and dreamy when I pull away, and I struggle not to kiss her again and again so that smile can survive a lifetime on her perfect, freckled lips.
The credits are almost finished rolling,but I haven’t moved from my spot on the couch. DK is curled up next to me, Connie on the other side. She’s fallen asleep, her head resting on my lap.
A part of me still can’t believe that she’s here. That her guard is down and that we’ve spent a few peaceful hours watching a movie together. That she came tomefor comfort. And that she even asked to stay the night.
It feels surreal after all our fighting.
But I’m not about to let our past ruin this for us.
Ruin this for me.
I gently rock her shoulder to wake her up.
“Hey,” I whisper. “Let’s go to bed.”
I say it as if I’ve said it a thousand times before.
Casual. Familiar. Like, this isn’t just the beginning.
Connie stirs awake and looks up at me with owlish eyes, her head still on my lap.
“Did I fall asleep?”
I chuckle, smoothing a hand over her forehead and into her hair.
“Yeah, sleepyhead, you fell asleep.”
With her hand in mine, I lead her to my room. When I close the door behind us, I do my best not to act like this is the first time I’ve had someone in my room before.
But this isn’t just anyone.
She’s the girl I’m gonna fucking marry.
