Текст книги "Be My Temptation"

Автор книги: Rachel Brookes

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Текущая страница: 21 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

“Joshy, I’m going to your apartment to have a little sleep because I have Ky, Austin, and Ben ganging up on me, but I will be back as soon as I can. I love you so much, and I need you to wake up soon. We have a future to start living. I need you here.” I leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. Every touch was now so delicate, like he would shatter if I pressed too hard. My strong, determined, cocky man was now like fragile glass.

“Come back to me, Josh.”

For the past two nights, I stayed at Josh’s place. The need to feel close to him resulted in me sleeping in his bed and wearing his T-shirts whenever I could. I was literally surrounding myself with the comfort of his scent. With Austin and Ben by my side, I had reluctantly been leaving the hospital at midnight, only to return by seven in the morning, and I would resume my vigil by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up.

Three A.M. rolled around, and I pushed back the covers and climbed out of his bed. Sleep would yet again evade me, and there was no point waiting for it to arrive. I pulled on a pair of sweatpants, opened his bedroom, and headed to the kitchen.

I knew I was exhausted, because watching the coffee percolate was holding my attention. Mind numbing distraction was all that I wanted these days, because it saved me focusing on the reality I was living. A reality I chose not to believe.

“Can’t sleep, sweetheart?”

I jumped at the low rumblings of Ben’s voice, and turned to face him. Ben Hunt was Austin’s partner and best friend, and he had been in my life since I was ten years old. I wasn’t afraid to admit that I had the biggest crush on him growing up. He was like one of those guys that I would read about in my favorite books. He was all man. He had the voice, the hair, the body, and the charisma—the alphaness, as I liked to call it. He had a sense of danger about him and an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, and I knew that was what got the ladies in his bed. Now that I had the high school and . . . okay, I’ll admit it, the college crush out of the way, he was like a second big brother, and he treated me like his little sister. Now as he looked at me, I saw that he had the big brother cap on and concern flashed in front of me.

“I need to be with him.”

Ben walked into the kitchen and hurled himself up on the counter. His eyes burned into me, and suddenly I felt nervous under his watchful gaze. I didn’t know what else to do, so I quickly made him a coffee, handed it to him, and received a smirk.

“He is going to wake up soon, and he is going to need his woman rested and healthy. He is going to count on you for so much, sweetheart. Do you understand that? You need to take care of you as well as taking care of him.” His deep voice rumbled in the stillness of the apartment.

“Do you really think he’ll wake up soon?” I whispered in broken words as a deep sob rose from my chest.

Within seconds, he jumped from the counter, and I was pulled into his wall of a chest.

“Why wouldn’t he wake up? He has one of the best girls I know waiting for him. He is a lucky son of a bitch. He wouldn’t choose to leave that.”

Romance novels had definitely ruined me, because I started feeling myself tear up, and it was because I was swooning at his words.

“Why are you single?” I asked through a sob.

“Fuck, here we go,” he murmured, and his grip on me loosened.

I stepped away and looked at him. “It’s a serious question. I haven’t seen you with anyone since—” I stopped myself from saying her name because his face darkened, and I knew I’d hit a raw nerve. “All I’m saying is that I want you to be happy too, and you and your alphaness will make someone super happy.”

“My alphaness?” He laughed with a shake of his head.

“Ladies dig it.”

“I think a lack of sleep and not eating, has finally fucked with your head. Me and my alphaness are quite happy with what we are doing.”

“I am looking forward to the day when I get a call from you asking me for girl advice. I’ll try my hardest not to remind you of this particular time.”

We both knew exactly what I was doing. I was distracting us from the reason we were standing in the kitchen at 3 A.M. drinking coffee. As silence fell between us, my thoughts immediately went back to Josh lying in a hospital bed on his own.

“Sweetheart, look at me.”

My eyes lifted from the floor to meet Ben’s.

“Josh is going to be fine, and you two can start living your lives as you should. That motherfucker Lachlan has jail time to look forward to. Then he’ll be sent back to Australia, and will never be allowed back in the United States. That part of your life is over forever.”

Barely four hours later, I walked back into the hospital with Austin close by my side. Ben had gone back to bed, and I ended up sitting on the couch watching early morning infomercials until Austin finally woke at six A.M. and I got ready for another day spent with Josh.

“Where is Josh Crawford?” I asked anxiously. Having just walked into Josh’s room to find an empty bed shot panic through me, and the worst case scenario hit. What had happened? Why wasn’t I called? “Lady, please. Where the fuck is Josh Crawford?” I started to hyperventilate, and I couldn’t grab a breath. I knew I shouldn’t have left him. I left, and then something happened. What kind of girlfriend was I? Oh my god, had he woken when I wasn’t there? Had he stopped hearing my voice and given up. I was going to be sick. I needed to breathe.

She looked at me with wide eyes before looking at Austin who had stepped up beside me and grabbed my hand.

“Miss, where is the man that was in room 1A?” Austin asked in a calmer tone. “We were here last night, and we were not informed he was being moved? As you can see, his girlfriend is very upset with this treatment. If you could please find out, that would be greatly appreciated.”

“Um . . . yes sir, I’ll do that now,” she stammered and rushed out of her seat.

“Ducky, stay with me. There will be an answer as to what’s happening.”

I grabbed hold of Austin for dear life, then buried my face into his chest and waited. What was only a few minutes felt like hours.

“Here she comes.”

I pulled myself together and saw the lady that had been behind the desk walking our way with a doctor by her side. I linked my fingers with Austin’s and took off toward them, desperate to hear what they had to say sooner rather than later.

“Miss Hart, I apologize profusely. I informed the nurse that was on to call you, but it would seem she has not done that. Last night, Mr. Crawford was moved into a recovery room under doctor’s orders, and is in the process of being brought back from the induced coma. His vitals signs are improving rapidly. Now it’s just the waiting game until he wakes up. We are monitoring him closely, but all signs are great. Keep talking to him, keep showing him that you are there. Every little bit counts. He is in Room 5B, down the hall, first door on the right.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, not quite believing what she had said. He was going to wake up? He was coming back to me? I rushed down the hall practically in a sprint, desperate to see it with my own eyes. I halted just inside the door and immediately burst into tears. Josh was lying in bed, and it looked like he was sleeping peacefully. The majority of the machines were gone, and there was only one faint continuous beeping noise.

“I’ll head into town and get some coffee, then pick up Hunt. The cafeteria coffee is fucking shit. Be back soon, Ducky. Text me if you need anything.” Austin kissed my cheek before disappearing, and it was just me and Josh in the room.

Suddenly, the enormity of what was happening hit me, and all I craved was Josh’s warmth. I placed my bag on the guest chair, then stood beside the bed. With the gentlest of touches, I traced his features, sweeping over his brow, his cheekbone, and finally his lips. Light stubble sprinkled over his jaw, and the craziness of his hair caused my throat to get thick with emotion.

Gently, I climbed up onto the bed beside him and curved my body against his side. I placed my hand over his heart, because the need to feel his heartbeat overcame me. Feeling it over the past week had been the only thing that provided me with comfort. If I could feel that, I knew he was still with me.

“I need you to wake up, Josh. I miss your laugh. I miss your smile. I miss your kiss, and most of all, I miss the look you only seem to give me. Everything reminds me of you. I’ve been sleeping at your apartment, and I’ve decided I’m moving in. I’m going to ask Austin and Ben to help me move some of my things over. Too much time has passed for us, and I don’t want to lose another moment. I have so much to share with you, so I need you to wake up.”

Three hours later, I was still snuggled up with Josh and had fallen into a restless sleep. The lightest of movement caused me to stir, and the feeling of fingers playing with my hair drew me from my slumber. My first thoughts were Josh, though I didn’t want to wake because if this wasn’t a dream I’d still be living in my nightmare.

“Ashy.”

My throat closed, my eyes shot wide, and my body froze as the beautifully seductive voice I had only heard via the replaying of old voice messages sounded beside me, though now it was hoarse and low.

“Please tell me this isn’t a dream. This can’t be a dream,” I whispered, too scared to believe that it was real.

“I need to see your eyes.”

Slowly, I turned my head toward him, and that was when I completely lost it. Tears flooded my eyes as Josh’s tired gaze found mine. I fell into the comfort of the chocolate browns that I had been missing for over a week. My arms immediately surrounded him. My legs entwined with his, and I pulled him as close as I could until I heard him groan softly under the pressure.

“You’re awake. Oh my god, you’re awake,” I cried hysterically into his chest. “I need to get a doctor or a nurse. They need to make sure you are okay. Do you feel okay? Oh my god. Josh, you’re back.”

I attempted to let go and climb off the bed so I could run down the hall, demanding someone to come and check on him, but his arms held me in place and halted my escape. “I don’t need anyone, Ashy, just you,” he said so low I could barely hear him.

I melted back against him, and we lay in silence, our arms and bodies connected. I had never felt so safe in my life. My heart felt like it was finally beating again because Josh was awake. I held onto him for dear life, because I never wanted to be away from him again.

“I was so scared,” I admitted, unleashing a sob and rolling to my side to face him. “I thought I lost you before I could tell you that I am so deeply in love with you. You are everything to me, Josh. It might sound silly, but I feel like my heart beats for you, and that I’ve finally started living the life I’ve always wanted. And it’s all because of you.”

Relief swam wildly through me as I was able to say the words that I should have said weeks ago. It was so true. I was beyond in love with this man. There was no measure of my love. Through everything, he stood by my side. He unleashed the girl within me that now had new dreams and a new focus. He encouraged me, he motivated me, and most of all, he challenged me. He was the patience I needed when I didn’t have patience in myself. There would never be anyone like Josh Crawford for me.

“You have me for life, Ashlyn,” he admitted, coughing from the dryness of his mouth. “I love you with everything I am. You’re my girl, you’re the reason I’m here.”

“Can I kiss you?” I whispered, desperate to feel his lips on mine. “I just need to feel you.”

He nodded and lifted his hand, then pulled my face to his. His lips grazed mine so softly in the most innocent and heart-stopping kisses. This was the kind of kiss we had never shared. There was no tongue, there was no pressure, there was no fierce battle of ownership. It was brief, soft, and innocent, yet it screamed a new beginning and spoke a thousand words that could never be said. It was absolute perfection.

“Good to see you back with us, Mr. Crawford,” the doctor’s amused voice sounded from just inside the door.

I untangled myself from Josh’s body, then climbed off the bed and headed for the chair in the corner. My eyes never left Josh. The feeling that I was dreaming swamped me, and I didn’t want to wake up. The doctor grabbed the file hanging from the end of the bed and moved up beside Josh.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, as he thoroughly began checking Josh over. “How is the pain?”

“I feel okay. A little bit of pain, but not too bad,” Josh said with a scratchy voice. “Can I have some water?”

The doctor poured a plastic cup of water and popped a straw into it, then helped Josh take a sip. God, why didn’t I get him some water?

“You’re a lucky man. Your body has gone through extreme trauma, and you suffered a significant head injury from the impact of the windshield, which resulted in you being put into an induced coma for precaution. It left a deep laceration that required stitches. You suffered some internal bleeding, which required surgery, and a compound fracture of a rib caused a protrusion, which led to quite a bit of blood loss. All of your wounds seem to be healing well.”

Hearing the doctor talk about his injuries caused me to gasp loudly, and both of their eyes fell to mine.

“Come here, Ashy,” Josh said, his voice now clearer.

I moved across the room and sat on the edge of the bed, then he linked our fingers together.

“This one has been here all week,” the doctor said to Josh, while giving me a sweet smile.

“When can I take him home?” I asked, squeezing Josh’s hand.

“We have to monitor him for a while before I can give you a time frame, but as soon as Mr. Crawford can be discharged, I will let you know.” The doctor placed the charts back at the end of the bed and turned his attention to Josh. “All looks good here, but I’ll be back soon for more follow up. If you need anything, buzz the nurse’s station. You are a very lucky man.”

The doctor closed the door behind him and left Josh and I in the room on our own. I played with his fingers, which were linked with mine, and got lost in my thoughts. I had him back, and now our life together could truly begin. I wondered how he’d feel about never being out of my sight again.

“What exactly happened?” Josh asked, his eyes flashing to me. “I remember I was going to get a cab to take you home, and then I remember hearing you talking, but not being able to see you.”

I swallowed hard, and my hand froze.

“Climb up here, Ashy, and tell me.”

I did as he asked, and molded my body against his side. “It was Lachlan. Just as you had crossed the street, he came speeding down and hit you.”

His eyes flashed in anger. “Have they found him?”

“They are still looking. Austin and Ben are here, and they are working with the police. I just want them to find him.”

“They will find him.” He tucked my hair behind my ear before lowering his voice. “He failed, Ashy, because look at us. We are crazy in love, I’m going to be okay, and we are together. We have come out on top. He started this as some fucked up competition or vendetta, but we are the only winners. We start our forever right now. You and me forever, Ashy.”

My heart swelled to epic proportions, and my love for this man grew more than I ever thought possible. “Forever.”

Ten days later, I walked into Josh’s apartment, carrying his bag and refusing to allow him to do anything but walk. I had been at the hospital religiously, but yesterday he kicked me out for the day and told me that I had to go have a girly day with Eden. Seriously, could I love the man any more?

“It’s so good to be home,” he stated happily as he stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms gently around his stomach, then rested my cheek on his back. My need to be close to him was overwhelming, and thankfully he was just as touchy feely. We couldn’t get enough of each other. I had been so close to losing him, so close to experiencing a life without him, that I would forever tell and show him how I felt. There was nothing I wouldn’t say or do anymore. The person I knew always existed had become the reason for my existence, and that was Josh.

“I’ll take your bag into the bedroom,” I whispered, and untangled him from my grasp. I could feel my emotions getting the best of me, and I had to reel them in before he got wind of them. This no sleeping business was causing me to burst out crying at the most insane moments, and for the craziest of things. The bakery down the road had run out of chocolate chip muffins, and yep, there I was, starting to tear up. I was a hot mess of emotional distress.

“Ashy, come here.” His voice drew me back to reality, and he looked at me with complete compassion, though I couldn’t miss the hint of amusement that shot through his eyes. I placed his bag back on the couch and moved into his arms. “You have to stop crying, Ashy. I’m okay, and I promise you I’m not going anywhere. We have the rest of our lives together, so please, no more tears,” he said sternly, and I couldn’t help but smile as I wiped away my tears.

“So bossy.”

“My girl likes it that way,” he shot with a wink. “Now, can we please go and sleep. I need to have you in my arms, and I know you need to sleep. Don’t think I haven’t been told that you haven’t been sleeping.”

“I couldn’t sleep without you.”

“Knowing you were waiting for me was the one thing that got me through. You took care of me, Ashy, and now I get to take care of you. So let’s get some sleep, and then we will order some pasta and spend the night on the couch. Just you and me.”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

I tried desperately to stop the tear that was threatening to cascade over my cheek, but I failed miserably. When my man was being sweet, it deserved a tear.

FRIDAY NIGHTS WERE NOW spent eating take out and sitting on the couch watching movies with Ashlyn in my arms. Talk about a complete turnaround. My life before Ashlyn seemed like a crazy nightmare that I was finally able to wake from, and I didn’t miss a second of it. The women, the booze, and the random shit was pointless. Everything was pointless until she gave me a second chance.

A knocking on the front door interrupted the movie, and Ashlyn’s head shot up from my shoulder. Worry flashed over her face, and I knew her first thought was Lachlan. They still hadn’t found the fucker, and the longer he was out there, the more stressed out Ashlyn got.

I moved to the door and looked through the peephole, then turned back to Ashlyn. “It’s Austin and Ben.” After opening the door, I shook both of their hands, then they stepped into the living room and both gave Ashlyn a hug.

“How’s things?” Austin asked, turning to me and giving me the once over. Since I had come home from hospital, one of them would visit every day, even if it was for five minutes. Tomorrow they were due to fly back to Monroe.

“I’m feeling good. I have a pretty good nurse looking after me,” I replied and shot a wink at Ashlyn.

“They got Lachlan,” Ben stated in his low, deep rumble, deciding to say what they came to say. “Picked him up about thirty minutes ago trying to board a plane back to Sydney. That fucker is in custody, and is looking at serving some serious time for attempted murder.”

Ashlyn’s gasp rang through the apartment, and she grabbed the back of the couch to steady herself. “So, he will never . . .”

“He will never get near you or Josh again, Ducky,” Austin said softly, offering his sister everything she wanted to hear.

“It’s been screwing with my head that he has been out there. I kept having these thoughts of him coming here or sneaking in while we were sleeping, or even getting you two,” she said, her gaze jumping from Austin to Ben.

“Sweetheart, do you really think he’d get anywhere near my alphaness?” Ben asked, and shot Ashlyn a wink.

What the fuck was alphaness? Ashlyn burst into a fit of giggles while Austin and I looked on completely in the dark.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Austin and Ben stayed for half an hour before announcing that they were heading back to Monroe that night instead of early the next morning. Ashlyn’s mood changed, and her eyes glistened with tears as she said goodbye to her brother and his best friend.

“You’ll see me before you know it, Ducky, but for now we have to head back to Monroe. There are criminals to catch, chicks to lay, and shit to mess up.” Austin smirked, and received a slap on the chest by Ashlyn. “Take care of this one, Josh.”

“You have my word.”

That night we both slept without a care in the world. I didn’t feel Ashlyn jump once in her sleep, and I didn’t have the need to get out of bed and check the apartment. Finally, it seemed like it was only Ashlyn and I in this relationship, and there wasn’t the tormenting shadow of Lachlan hanging over us. It felt fucking fantastic.

Ashlyn danced around the kitchen in just my shirt, her hair piled on the top of her head, and she clearly had no clue I was watching. A month had passed, and things were abso-fucking-lutely perfect. I didn’t think there was anything could make life better. I had my girl, work was going well, we were looking at a place to buy in Lilac Cove, and we were getting ready to celebrate Ky and Eden’s wedding in just over a week.

The incident, as we were now referring to it, had pushed us closer than ever. For the first two weeks, Ashlyn and I were never out of each other’s sight. I worked from home, and if I needed to go to the office, she would come with me. She watched me like a hawk, and refused to let me do anything she considered strenuous. I got to see the bossy side of Ashlyn Hart, and I didn’t think there’d be anything she could do to make me love her more. Well, that was until I walked in to find her ass on display like it was now.

“Ashy, shake that little ass over here.”

She jumped at the sound of my voice and whipped around quickly to face me. “How long have you been standing there?” She cocked a brow and rested her hands on her hips.

“Long enough to get a hard on and develop a need to sink into you.” I placed my keys and phone on the bench and stepped into the kitchen.

“You want this?” she asked, twirling around and lifting the shirt up over her thighs, stopping just under her tits. “Sit down on that chair.”

My interest piqued, and I immediately followed her orders.

“It’s been so long since I’ve touched you,” she whispered seductively, her heated gaze falling to mine.

“Too fucking long,” I said with a groan.

“I’ve been a really bad girlfriend,” she whispered huskily as she circled the chair. “I haven’t given my guy what I should have given him long ago. The one thing I have wondered about for a long time. Could I be the first girl to make you come with my mouth?”

Holy shit.

Ashlyn lifted her leg and straddled my thighs, then slowly lowered herself onto my lap. With a featherlike touch, she traced my needy lips, while her gaze never broke from mine.

“I want you to lose yourself.” Her lips fell to my jaw, and her tongue traced a line to my ear in a soft, excruciatingly-seductive move. “But you aren’t allowed to touch me.”

“That’s not possible.” I sighed as her teeth softly grated against my neck.

“You touch me, and I stop.”

Her lips caressed my neck, while her hands traveled down my chest and reached for my belt buckle. She worked feverishly until cool air hit my heated skin. Her hand disappeared inside my pants and boxers, then snaked around and gripped hold of my now-throbbing cock. My head flew back under her tight grasp, and I cursed as she began slowly stroking me.

“Harder,” I pled for relief, and tried with all my strength to not touch her. With ferocious strokes, she worked my cock, only relenting to swirl my pre-come on the head.

As my stomach tightened and I felt the first signs of impending release, she stepped over my lap and dropped to her knees.

Seeing her on her knees, with her hand on my cock, was the best fucking sight in the world. My eyes found hers, and green pits of hot, lustful desire stared back at me. I licked my lips at the smirk she offered, and my cock throbbed in her hand.

She removed her hand, and I groaned in frustration at the loss of pressure and sensation that roared through me. Fuck me, I needed to come. My groan of torture caused her head to snap up and look at me. She was a vision of complete seduction, tempting and tormenting me in the process. She gripped the sides of my pants and tugged them over my hips, and my cock sprang to life.

The moment her lips hit the throbbing head, a satisfied growl climbed from deep within my chest. With slow, merciless strokes, her tongue licked and caressed my length, ending with a swirl on the head and lapping up the pre-come. She surged forward and took me completely into her hot, willing mouth. With a scrape of her teeth along my shaft, she moved frantically. She sucked, licked, and teased my cock with those delicious lips, before pulling my balls deep into the heat of her mouth. Fuck, I wanted to touch her, to pull her nipples into my mouth, and to play with her pussy, but I wouldn’t take the risk of her stopping this. With a pop of her lips, she released my heavy balls and went back my cock. Her mouth accepted my full length with an eagerness I couldn’t imagine possible.

“Look at me,” I demanded hoarsely.

The way her lips glistened with my pre-release was pure fantasy, and I swear I could have come on that sight alone.

“You are fucking perfection,” I said, my voice hoarse and needy.

Ashlyn smiled and shook her head slightly, dismissing my praise. “I don’t deserve those accolades yet. Now, can I please get back to giving you perfection?”

How the fuck had I gotten so lucky?

With one final scrape of her teeth, I felt myself soaring to new heights. The moment she swallowed and her throat constricted around my length, I felt the tightening in my stomach and heat climb through my body. The familiar feeling I experienced when I knew I was going to come overcame me, and it was definitely a feeling I had never experienced when a woman was giving me head. She unleashed everything she had on me. Her teeth, lips, and tongue worked their magic in perfect sync, like a melody so beautifully written the notes stayed in one’s heart forever. The sense of tightness overwhelmed me.

“I’m going to come,” I managed while groaning.

Ashlyn didn’t stop. If anything, she went harder. With a moan of her name, I spilled deep inside her mouth. She continued, and didn’t stop until I was completely spent. When she pulled her mouth away, her tongue darted out and ran the seam of her lips as if she had just tasted the best thing ever. She pushed back onto her heels and sat on the floor in front of me, her eyes dark with lust and satisfaction.

“Now, I hope that was perfection,” she said with a seductive tone.

“Panties off now,” I said, growling like a starving animal.

“So bossy.”

“Ashlyn, get your panties off now and get on my lap. I need to be inside of your pussy within the next ten seconds, and you are going to ride me until you are screaming my name and begging me to come inside of you. It’s been too fucking long.”

Ashlyn shimmied out of her panties and removed the shirt she was wearing, then stood naked before me. The space between her thighs glistened with her arousal, and I knew my girl was ready for me. She lowered herself onto my cock, and her head fell back, exposing her neck to me. I licked from her collarbone, up her neck, until I reached her lips.

“This is going to be quick. Take what you want, Ashlyn, and don’t leave anything behind.”

After fucking Ashlyn to within an inch of her life, I carried her to what was now our bedroom, and we both collapsed onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. She curled up beside me and rested her head on my chest, as I ran my fingers through her hair.

“Did you know it was in this room that I realized I was in love with you? When you suggested I move in with you while my apartment got renovated, I had no clue what I would be walking into. I didn’t realize I would be walking into a brand new life, one that I never could have imagined.” Ashlyn rolled onto her stomach, rested her chin on my chest, and looked up at me with wide eyes. “Can I tell you something?” she asked softly.

“Babe, you can tell me anything.”

Her cheeks flushed as they did every time I called her babe. “When I first saw you in college, I thought you were the hottest guy I’d ever seen. I had heard all about you from some of the girls around campus, and I knew you were completely out of my league. When you started smiling at me in the halls, I thought you must have been put up to it, because a guy like you would never notice a girl like me.”

“Ash,” I whispered at the intensity of her words.

“Please, let me finish.”

“That night we shared was the beginning of my fairy tale. You gave me everything that night. You gave me confidence, assurance, and you made me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Something I had never felt before. Yes, I wished we had those five years, but now that I think back, it led us to this moment. I needed those five years to find who I truly was and to become the kind of woman a man like you deserved. You protected me when I didn’t even know you were doing it. It was you that was always there to help me pick up the pieces. It was you and your wicked, naughty ways that made me feel desirable. It was you, Josh. It’s always been you. I am who I am today because of the hurdles I have faced. You have made me realize that I would rather live with regrets than live in a world of what-ifs. You may think you are a cliffhanger, but you have always been my happily-ever-after, and now you’ve given me the most precious gift in the world.”

I looked at her longingly, and watched as tears swam through her green eyes. This beautiful girl, who always found it so hard to talk about her feelings, was laying it all out in front of me, and I couldn’t be more proud. She inched over closer, and the sweetest smile swept over her lips.