Chapter 46 #2
I looked up, unable to comprehend this kind of love. “Yes.”
“Did you save your dreams for me?”
I nodded, crying so hard I almost couldn’t breathe. “You—” I sucked in a breath. “You are my dream.”
His thumb traced my cheekbone. “And you’re mine. I’ll never regret saving myself. Not for a second. And if you think that gift belongs with anyone other than you—you’re wrong. I need you to believe that.”
I stared at him in awe. “I’ll try. Every day.”
“That’s all I want. That’s everything.”
He leaned in, asking permission, and I leaned up, our mouths meeting in the middle.
That kiss cracked my soul open. The loneliness of my childhood, the years with DayGlow—none of it was strong enough to hold against this.
The pain started to recede, and the feeling that came after felt like sun on skin after a very long winter.
I tilted into Griffin, pulling him closer.
My fingers tangled in his hair as his tongue wound around mine.
So of course, Weston decided to protest right then.
We looked down to see why he was crying.
“Oh, dear.” I let out a wet laugh. “Somebody swaddled you.” I freed his arms, and he immediately stopped fussing.
“I thought babies liked to be swaddled.”
“Ordinary babies do, but Weston is no ordinary baby. This boy is a stretcher. He does not like being cramped.”
As if to demonstrate, Weston stretched his arms wide, grunted, and wiggled his bottom, getting comfy.
“Well, what do you know?” Griffin chuckled. “Dang. Look at that thick red hair.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“He got my stupid cowlick, though,” he said, like it was the worst trait a kid could possibly inherit.
“It’s okay. We’ll teach him about the magic of the directional blow-dry and Smoothing Serum No. 4.”
Griffin’s eyes snapped to mine. “You just said ‘we’ll.’”
My gaze fell to his hands, resting on his thighs. He was no longer wearing his wedding band. That realization felt like someone dropped a barbell on my chest. But what had I expected? Of course he’d taken it off.
“Oh,” I said, heart in my throat. “I thought that’s what you meant when you said family.”
“It is.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s just… I was pretty ticked after you disappeared and I… kind of signed those divorce papers.”
“Shoot.” I fell back against the mattress.
He sighed. “I guess this is another secret we’ll add to the list of things not to tell Weston about.”
I laughed—really laughed—for the first time since I’d left. “Definitely.”
Griffin slipped off the bed, and panic flared inside me. I wanted him to stay here next to me forever.
He gazed down at Weston and me. “Guess we’d better hurry and right that wrong before Granny Dupree loses her ever-lovin’ mind.” Then he dropped to one knee.
My breath froze.
“Julie Margot Skinner.” He looked up at me, eyes raw. “Will you please let me spend the rest of my life loving you the way you deserve to be loved?”
“Griff,” I said. “I’m so messed up. I have so much trauma and probably two million hours of therapy. Are you sure you want to—”
“And,” he cut me off. “Let me respect you when you say no—”
“I can’t say no to you.”
“You have to.” His voice went quiet. “I need you to. I never want you to give me something you don’t want to give.
” He said it as if he were reminding me that deep down, I was a treasure.
Like everything that had been done to me had never changed who I was underneath.
It felt like he was speaking a foreign language.
And all I could say in response was, “I’ll do my best.”
“Good.” He smiled just barely. “Now, where were we?”
“You’re going to respect me when I say no.”
“Right.” One brow lifted mischievously. “And let me ravish you when you say yes—”
I snorted.
His smile was crooked. “Make you laugh every day, hold you when you cry, do the dishes, take out the trash, clean up your puke when you’re sick, pretend your farts smell good—”
I cackled.
“—rub your feet before bed, and spend hours staring at your impossibly beautiful face?”
I tilted my head. “If you’ll let me do all of that right back.”
“Was that a yes?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “Absolutely yes.”
He jumped up and hooted.
His family hooted in the hall.
My mouth fell open. “Were they eavesdropping?”
“Are they Duprees?” He grinned, entirely unrepentant. “Now, where’s your ring?”
I lifted my chin, baring my neck. “Right here.”
He reached down and unhooked the chain, his fingers gentle at the back of my neck. He slid the ring free and clasped the chain back into place like it was sacred. Then he took my hand and put the ring where it had always belonged.
With that done, he slipped onto the bed beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. Our legs immediately tangled as if we’d never been apart. He rested his cheek against my hair. A happy hum purred in my stomach.
Weston stared up at us, trying to make his eyes focus.
“Is it just me?” Griffin said. “Or did we make the best-looking baby on the planet?”
“It’s not just you. We definitely did.”
“That’s because he looks like his mommy.” Griffin cooed, rubbing Weston’s belly, and I’d never heard anything more attractive.
“No. He looks like you. Check out that nose and that chin.”
“He’s got your eyes, though,” Griffin said. Then, in the next breath, he whispered, “Promise you’ll never leave me again. Ever. I don’t think I could live through losing you another time.”
“Me either. I promise.” And I meant it. “You are where I always want to be. Even if it’s not Seddledowne. We can go wherever you want. I never should’ve stayed here without you.”
“It’s okay. I’ve kind of fallen back in love with Seddledowne. And you were right to stay. I had no idea you were hiding from DayGlow.” He sounded completely gutted. “If I’d known…”
“I know.”
His eyes held mine. “Weston is going to have the best childhood here. And the best life. We’re going to have the best life. Together.”
“Together,” I echoed.
Then he kissed me—not gently—like he was making up for lost time.
Sitting on that bed, being loved by the man of my literal dreams, with our baby boy in my arms, I finally knew…
I was free.
And I’d never be far from home, ever again.