Smiling hard, she leaned her head to his as he slowly wiped away her tears, his gaze holding hers. Cupping her face, he said, “Are you ready to stop being crazy and love me?”
“I never stopped loving you, nor will I ever stop being crazy when it comes to you.”
He grinned. “Don’t worry, I’m crazy too.”
“And horny,” she mentioned and he nodded.
“All the damn time,” he said, cupping her ass. “But this is it, Kacey. No going back. We are in it to win it. And if you ever tell me to leave this house again without you, you’ll regret it.”
She smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Gonna off me?”
“Damn right. If I can’t have you, no one can.”
“Crazy town,” she muttered and he laughed.
“Love does crazy things to people.”
“You got that right,” she said and her hand still hurt from punching that chick. Looking up at him, she grinned. “But I’m not going anywhere, Jordie. Call me your number two, I’m there,” she said proudly, but he shook his head.
“You mean my number one,” he said sternly. “Because you, Kacey Marie King soon-to-be Thomas, are my one and only,” he said roughly before his mouth dropped to hers and her heart soared. As their mouths moved together, their souls becoming one, she knew that she wasn’t going anywhere without a fight. That between her and Jordie, it would be a knock-down-drag-out fight before either of them got away from the other. She wouldn’t want it any other way, either. She had one hell of a story to write, and that story would be the best she had ever written.
As long as Jordie was by her side, helping her write it.
“When a crayon breaks, it’s still usable. You can still color with it, and that’s how I’ve looked at my life the last year.”
Jordie looked out at the group and smiled. Karl held Regina in the crook of his arm, pride shining in his eyes, with Karson and Lacey beside them, Mena in her arms, waving her arms and trying to get down to ruin something. Elli and Shea were there too, along with Benji, who was smiling like a proud father.
But the only person he saw was Kacey, holding their sweet baby girl, Ella Mae, in her arms, tears rushing down her cheeks as she beamed up at him. She had just given birth to her three days before, and he knew that she should be home, but she wouldn’t miss this for the world.
Clearing his throat, he looked down as he sucked in a breath. “I was at the lowest of lows. Broken in black and white, wanting to scream in color, but I couldn’t find my voice. I was nothing, a waste of space. I broke the heart of the woman I loved, I hurt my friends and my family, but then someone took a chance on me. Someone looked me in the eye and told me I needed help. And I took it, even though I didn’t want it at the time,” he said, his eyes meeting Elli’s, and hers filled with tears. “The last year has been not only hell, but also the best year of my life. I’m healthy. I’m strong. I’m happy. I’m loved. I’m a best friend, a friend, a son, and a fiancé. And now a father.”
Swallowing hard, he looked up, meeting Kacey’s tearful gaze, and said, “I couldn’t have reached this day, my three hundred and sixty-fifth day sober, without those people who define me, my therapist, and this group. You all love me, push me, and know that I can get through this addiction, and I can beat it.”
Everyone smiled up at him, his therapist Julie grinned, Portia from rehab was there too, along with all his group members. The support was unbelievable and heartwarming, but the look of pure admiration and pride that shone in Kacey’s eyes was what left him breathless.