Chapter 14 #2
“A couple of felonies? Oh, now you’re going to be dramatic.
Great,” she snaps, her blazing eyes finally finding mine.
“Let’s talk about your behavior tonight, shall we?
You decided I couldn’t love you back. You very firmly stated that I should move out.
You never let me talk, and you determined, incorrectly, might I add, that I didn’t want to be a wife or have a family.
And worst of all, you claim I couldn’t see myself the way you see me, or see you in the same light.
You’re all I see, Sebastian. Maybe you’re the one with the blinders on, not me. ”
“I need some clarification,” I breathe, taking a hesitant step toward her. “What exactly do you see?”
Isabella’s eyes soften. “You made me see myself. You gave me confidence that I never knew I could have. I began to trust that not all men are assholes, because you weren’t.
I knew my brothers were in your corner, and boy did they lay into me tonight about my lack of trust. I hate that I caused you pain because of that.
My family is full of these remarkable love stories, with glorious pairings of individuals who match each other so well.
I couldn’t see our matching. You’re bigger than life, and I’m just …
me. It’s not about physical appearances or weight —”
“Your weight is fucking perfect. Your body is perfect.”
Her lips twitch as she fights a smile. “I know. I love my body. I always have. I’m fine with not being a size two.
I love food, and I love to eat. I won’t be apologetic about that.
But your interest in me made me doubt my own confidence about my body initially.
How could someone as gorgeous as you want a plain Jane like me? I couldn’t see it.”
“You are not plain,” I tell her, taking another step in her direction. “You’re perfect. I dream about your curves, baby. Do you believe me now?”
“I do,” she says with a nod. “It took me longer than it should have, though. Every woman in my family is smaller than me, and while no one has ever made me feel like I’m less than because of being curvier, I think I subconsciously put that on myself.
And the last few weeks, as you’ve been slowly filtering into my soul, I realized that I don’t care about what anyone thinks about me. I only care about what you think.”
“Do you want to know what I think right now?” I ask.
She nods, but I see the apprehension in her gaze. “Only if you want to tell me, Seb.”
“I love that you’ve called me Seb twice tonight, because you’ve never called me that before.”
“Your close friends call you that, and it just seemed too …” she trails off, exhaling deeply.
“What? ”
Isabella’s eyes meet mine as she continues. “It seemed too intimate, somehow. And I was too scared to take a step in that direction with you. If something changes, you’re still around my family a lot. I don’t know how I’d handle that, so stopping it from happening seemed like the best option.”
“Okay. What did you mean when you said I’m all you see?” I ask, almost scared of what she might say.
She smiles slightly, just the corner of her lips pulling up a tiny bit.
“I’ve caught myself thinking about you almost constantly.
Wondering what you’d think about a new dessert I was debating on trying, or if you’d like one of my perfumes.
I’d almost have make-believe conversations in my head with you, which seems ridiculous now that I’ve said it out loud. ”
“Not ridiculous,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re in my thought conversations too.”
“Really?” she asks softly, hope finally blooming in her eyes for the first time since she barreled in here.
“You’ve been the center of my heart, Isabella. Everything I do is with you in mind. You are it,” I tell her huskily, stepping close enough to pull her into my arms. Burying my head in her hair, I ask her a final question, that bears the most weight. “Do you see that you’re not a game to me?”
“I do,” she whispers as her arms slide around to hold me tightly. “I’m so sorry to have doubted you, even for a moment.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t handle the bakery order better. I promise I’ll talk to you about things from now on. Except for the keeping you safe stuff.”
“Wait —” she interjects, but I palm her head and shove her face into my chest.
“No. This is where I draw the line, and you need to listen to me before you blow up and yell at me. Okay?”
She mutters something against my chest that I don’t understand, but finally nods her agreement.
“Good. There are six women in this world that don’t get to tell me how to keep them safe.
My daughter, my sisters, my mother, and my grandmother.
You’re the sixth. If something happened to any of you, and it was due to negligence on my part?
I’d never forgive myself. Every decision I make about your safety is done so with painstaking finesse.
I don’t decide something just to piss you off, or make you uncomfortable.
I do so because I will not be able to live with myself if something happens to you.
” My body tenses as I think about her being hurt, or taken, and Isabella squeezes me in response.
“Seb,” she whispers, nuzzling her cheek against me.
“Here are the things that I will not compromise on. I will be able to track your location, from your phone and your car, and you’ll check in when you arrive somewhere.
If I’m not with you, someone I’ve personally chosen will be around you.
We aren’t any closer to finding the guys who your ex is associated with, and until that happens, I’m not taking any chances with your safety.
Once things settle down, and I know the threat is over, we’ll change this expectation. ”
“Okay,” Isabella replies.
“And no more riding with your NASCAR employee with the goal of losing your tail. I don’t care how pissed you are at my guys. If they drove you to work, they drive you home.”
“Alright.”
“Lastly, if we have a fight, which I have no doubt we will have because we’re us, and it’s probably been a decade of foreplay at this point, you don’t go back to your apartment to hide from me.
If we argue, we talk it out. Then we have make-up sex, because that’s what couples do.
Also, get rid of your apartment. I’ve been moving you in here for weeks, mi Reina . You live here now. Accept it.”
“Okay,” she says with a giggle, and the sound is like a perfect melody. “Can I ask a question now? ”
“Of course.”
Isabella props her chin on my chest, looking up at me, her chocolate brown eyes shining. “Is this the part of our fight where we get to have make-up sex?”
“Fuck, yes,” I say, crashing our lips together.
About fucking time.