Chapter 4
Cash
“Hey, man, are you okay?” Asher asks. I look around the now-quiet jobsite realizing I must have been daydreaming. It’s been two months since the bar-b-que at Asher’s house—two months of getting to know my daughter, and two months of reconnecting with Lilly. All of it has been perfect, except I want more. I want Ashlyn and Lilly in my house with Jax and me. I want to be able to kiss them both before bed at night, and wake up and see them and my son every morning. I hate when I have to say goodbye to them, and I know Jax doesn’t like it much either.
“Yeah.” I smile as Asher sits, opening a bottle of water.
“How are things with you and Lilly?”
“Really good.” I look at Asher, who seems to want to say something. “What is it?” I sigh. I know everyone likes Lilly. My mom loves her, but there are times I can see them waiting for her to flip out like Jules would.
“Why doesn’t she live with you?”
“What? That’s what you want to say?”
“Yeah, I mean, I can’t imagine not having my girls there when I get up in the morning.”
“I don’t like it, if that’s what you’re thinking. But I have been trying to take things slow. I f*cked up big time with her, so right now, I'm just trying to prove to her that I'm in for the long haul.”
“Can you prove it by this weekend?”
“What?” I feel my eyebrows draw together in confusion.
“You know, this weekend. Can you have her move in with you by this weekend?”
“Were you listening to what I just said?” I mean, I want her to live with me; shit, there are a lot of things I want, but taking it slow includes waiting on moving in and sleeping together. Since that time in the shower at Asher’s house, I haven’t had my mouth on anything but her mouth. Just thinking about the way she looked—the way she f*cking tasted—makes me hard.
“Come on, I can help you move her in,” Asher says, dragging me out of my dirty thoughts.
“Dude, don’t you think that if it was that easy, I would have had her moved in already?” I shake my head and go to stand.
“I know, but maybe you need to try harder.”
“What the hell is going on?” I cross my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes.
“Nothing, just looking out for you,” he says looking away, and I know he’s up to something.
“What the f*ck is going on?” I repeat.
“Nothing,” he mumbles before standing and walking off. I shake my head and look around the jobsite before gathering my stuff and heading over to where I was working before my break. Once I get there, Trevor comes around the corner.
“Hey, man, how’s it going?” he asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Good, what’s up?” I look at him for a second before using the nail gun to tack up another piece of drywall.
“Good, good.” He looks around before taking a step towards me. “I just wanted to see how things are going with you and Lilly.”
“Things are good,” I say through my teeth. “Why the f*ck are you and Asher so interested all a sudden?”
“What do you mean Asher and me?” His eyes narrow; now, I know something is going on.
“Dude, what the f*ck?”
“Lilly’s not moving in with you, is she?” he asks, looking nervous.
“I’m going to shoot you in the ass with the nail gun unless you start talking.”
“All right, we may have had a bet.” He holds up his hands in front of him.
“You may have had a bet?” I repeat, my finger on the trigger starting to tighten.
“Okay, okay…we had a bet. Asher said Lilly would move in this weekend and I said no way, that it would take at least another couple more weeks.”
“How the f*ck are we related?” I shake my head. “Never mind. Shouldn’t you be working?”
“Yeah, well, I took a break to call Liz to check on her; this pregnancy is a lot harder on her than the last one.”
“She’ll be fine.”
“I know. I just hate when she isn’t well.” He hands me another sheet of drywall. “I know Jules was never sick, but was Lilly sick with Ashlyn?” he asks, holding the drywall in place.
“Yeah, she said she was nauseous up until six months,” I tell him, feeling my chest squeeze. I hate that she went through that alone. I hate that I missed her body changing.
“You know, you never told me if you confronted Jules about the messages she sent to Lilly.” One night, I asked Lilly to show me the messages that she had printed out. At first, I was going to burn them, but the minute I got them in my hand, I wanted to kill Jules. I read the words over and over again. I hate that Lilly had gotten that kind of response; even though I didn’t send the messages, the fact that they came from my phone, at a time when she needed me, f*cked with my head big time.
“I don’t want to give Jules the power if she knows that she hurt Lilly, even just for a second. She would get off on that shit.”
“You’re right about that. I don’t know how the f*ck you still deal with her ass.”
“It’s not by choice. If I could cut her out of my life completely, I would, but I have to think about Jax.”
“True. So how is it being a dad to a little girl?” he asks, making me smile.
“F*cking terrifying. I have always been worried about Jax and his safety, but with Ashlyn, it’s something completely different. You know she called me Daddy for the first time a week ago?” I shake my head at the memory. “We had all gone out to dinner, and then to see the new kid’s movie with the little yellow guys, and we were walking into the theater. I had my hand on Lilly’s ass—where it normally ended up—and Ashlyn and Jax were walking in front of us carrying popcorn when Ashlyn turned to Jax and asked him, ‘Can I sit next to Daddy?’ I wanted to f*cking cry, and Jax, my little man, shrugged like, ‘I don’t give a f*ck who sits where, as long as we’re watching the movie’.”
“Damn, bet that felt good,” Trevor said, slapping me on the back.
“Yeah, it did. It also hurt that it took her so long to say it. Knowing the reasons why she didn’t.”
“So what is your plan?”
“What do you mean?” I look at him, my eyebrows coming together in confusion.
“You know, moving in, getting married?”
“I don’t know. I'm just taking it one day at a time. I'm just thankful as f*ck that Jax has fallen in love with Lilly and Ashlyn.”
“What about you?” he asks with a smirk.
“What about me?”
“Are you in love with Lilly?”
“F*ck yeah.” I nod and can’t help the shit-eating grin that splits my face.
“I knew it, and I can see when she looks at you and Jax that she feels the same.”
“You think?”
“What, you haven’t told her?” I shake my head no. “Why the f*ck not?”
“Who are you, Dr. Phil?”
“No, but I do know that when I discovered that I loved Liz and held it back, it ate me alive until I cornered her and forced her to tell me she loved me too.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I chuckle.
“Laugh all you want, a*shole, but I know what I'm talking about.”
“How about you let me worry about that?”
“Sure, but when you flip the f*ck out on her about it, don’t come crying to me.”
“You—” I start to tell him that he needs help when my phone rings, showing that it’s my mom’s number. I answer right away; she has been keeping Jax and Ashlyn for Lilly and me while we’re at work. “Hey, Ma, what’s going on?”
“I just got a call from Lilly,” she says, sounding concerned. My stomach drops. I can hear the kids in the background laughing.
“Ma?”
“Oh, honey, she says she got picked up by the police,” she whispers into the phone, and I know I must have heard her wrong. “She’s didn’t want to call you in case you couldn’t pick up.” Oh, God, I was going to be sick.
“What happened?” I ask, starting to wrap up my tools. I feel Trevor at my side, and I know he’s waiting to find out what’s going on.
“I don’t know; she only had a couple minutes, so she told me where they were holding her and who to contact,” she says, sounding more nervous than before.
“Ma, I need you to talk to me so I can help Lilly.” It takes her a second to pull it together. She tells me where Lilly is and who to contact at the station, and the second I hang up, I'm on the phone with my dad, hoping that he knows someone who can help me out when I get there.
“What’s going on?” Trevor asks as I head out to my truck.
“Lilly’s being held by the police,” I tell him without thinking.
“What do you mean she’s being held by the police?” I hold up my hand when Dad picks up. I explain to him what Mom said, and he says he will meet me at the station where Lilly is.
“You gonna tell me what’s going on?” Trevor asks. I hadn’t even realized he got into my truck with me.
“I don’t know. Ma couldn’t tell me much; all she knows is that Lilly is being held, and the officer I need to speak to is Dan Pike.”
“Did she say what she was picked up for?”
“Nope.” I pull my hat off to run a shaky hand through my hair.
“It will be okay. Dad will meet us there and get everything straightened out.”
“Yeah,” I mumble, trying to calm down enough so I can drive the speed limit and get to the station in once piece. Trevor and I don’t talk during the drive; my mind is racing with question after question and coming up with nothing. When we finally pull up to the precinct, my dad is already there waiting for us outside the building. I shut off the truck, pulling my hat back on before hopping out.
“All right, son, I just talked to an officer and he was able to explain to me that she is being held for questioning. Now, I want you to be calm when I tell you what’s going on.”
“Is she okay?”
“I haven’t seen her, but I'm sure she will be fine. Now, she wasn’t arrested, but brought in for suspicion of check fraud, and they say they have evidence against her, but he couldn’t tell me what it was.”
“Check fraud?”
“That’s what they’re saying.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“I don’t know, son. They usually don’t bring people in without having a reason to.”
“Dad, you’ve been around her; she can’t even lie without fessing-up right after. I have a hard time believing that she would do what they’re accusing her of.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, looking away from me. I understand that my family is worried about me, but f*ck, they needed to get over it already.
“She’s not Jules.”
“Son, I never—”
“Dad,” I cut him off, “Jules has made my life a living hell since the day she told me she was pregnant with Jax. During that time, Lilly was alone. Yes, she had her parents, but she raised our daughter by herself, and even believing what she thought I told her, she still told Ashlyn about me. She’s a good woman and a good mother; she’s also honest and kind. She wouldn’t do this, and if you’re not going to be on my side—which is her side—then I don’t want you here right now,” I say through clenched teeth.
“You would choose her?”
“F*ck yes, without a second thought. I love you all, but I love her. She has had enough things happen over the last few years, and I don’t know what’s going on right now inside that building, but I do know the woman I love wouldn’t do what they are accusing her of doing.”
“Your mom loves her; so does your grandmother.” His eyes light up.
“That’s good, ‘cause she’s not going anywhere.”
“All right, son, let’s go get your girl.” He pats my back before we turn to go into the building. Once inside, we’re ushered into a small waiting area. There is a man there around my age; his pressed, white button-down shirt and khakis make him stand out. When he sees my dad, who is in uniform, he goes right to him.
“Do you have any information about Lilly Donovan?” the guy asks, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. My hackles rise at the name of my woman coming out of this guy’s mouth.
“Who are you?” I ask without thinking. His head swings in my direction, his eyes meeting mine.
“David. Who are you?” he asks, looking me over.
“Her boyfriend,” I tell him, wishing that I could say fiancé or husband.
“Oh.” He shrugs like it’s all the same to him before turning to face my dad again. “So is she going to be okay? I mean, should I call a lawyer?” he asks, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his pants.
“Don’t worry; my son will take it from here,” my dad says, nodding in my direction. “He will have her call you when she’s out and settled.”
“Oh yeah, sure, of course,” David says before turning and leaving the room without another look.
“Not f*cking likely,” I say under my breath and happen to look at Trevor, who is wearing a smug grin on his cocky face. If we weren’t surrounded by officers, I would punch him. We all take a seat, and it’s not long before someone comes to get us. We get to a section of the station that is a long hall with a few chairs spaced out. I see Lilly sitting in a metal chair; her face is tilted towards her lap, and even from a few feet away I can see the tears running down her cheeks. “Baby,” I whisper when I get close enough to touch her.
“I didn’t do it,” she cries softly as I pull her into my arms.
“I know you didn’t,” I tell her, pulling her closer to me.
“They said that I stole checks from an old woman and wrote them to myself and cashed them,” she cries harder, her body convulsing.
“Baby, you need to calm down before you make yourself sick,” I whisper into her ear while rubbing her back.
“I-I can’t ca-calm d-down. They told me that the wo-woman that this happened to d-didn’t even have m-money for f-food be-because of what they th-think I d-did.”
“It’s okay. We’re going to get this figured out; I promise,” I say, trying to calm her down while the rage inside me starts to burn hotter and hotter. The minute I find out who really did this, I'm going to rip off their f*cking head and shove it up their ass.
“I feel so bad,” she whispers into my chest. My dad stands close by with a look of worry and understanding on his face, and Trevor looks like he is ready to help me hide the body.
“Did they say you could leave?” I ask her, pulling her small body tighter against mine.
“Yes, but I can’t leave the country.”
“You weren’t going to anyways; so that’s okay.”
“I know; I told them that.” She nods, sniffling.
“Good, let’s get out of here. We’ll stop by your house and get you and Ashlyn some clothes. Then we can head to my house for the night.”
“I don’t—”
“Hey.” I tilt her face towards mine with a finger under her chin. “If you think for one f*cking second that I'm letting you out of my sight tonight, you have lost your damn mind.”
“Okay.” She sighs, looking down.
“You okay, darlin?” my dad asks. Her body stiffens and she looks over her shoulder; seeing both my dad and Trevor, her face pales, and I feel her body start to shake.
“Oh no,” she whispers, looking back at me.
“Hey, it’s okay. My dad came when I called him. Both he and Trevor wanted to make sure you were okay,” I tell her quietly.
“They already hate me,” she says under her breath as new tears begin to fall from her eyes. “I think I'm going to be sick,” she says before covering her mouth with her hand and running down the hall towards the sign marked restrooms.
“I think I need to apologize.” My dad lets out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t think that she noticed.”
“She’s sensitive. The day after the bar-b-que she was excited to get to know you guys. She thought you were all welcoming her into the fold; then she noticed that y’all acted different with her than you do with November or Liz, and that was okay with her. She understood that it would take some time to build a relationship, except no one ever tried, and now she feels like an outsider. Well, except Ma; she has made it clear from day one that she has Lilly’s back.” I smile; I love my mom.
“I know Liz has called her,” Trevor says, and I nod.
“She did, and they talked and Lilly likes her a lot. She likes her and November both.”
“I like Lilly,” Trevor says, shaking his head and frowning.
“Yeah, but you all still act like she’s going to wig out if you say or do the wrong thing when she’s around. She can feel it, and so can I.” I rub my face. “She is here all alone; her parents are in Alaska, and she has no one except Ashlyn, Jax, and me.”
“We’ll do better,” my dad says, shaking his head. Then he turns as an officer starts coming towards us.
“Are you all here with Lilly Donovan?”
“Yes.” I take a step towards him. His eyes go from me to my dad.
“Shit, James, is that you?” the officer asks, looking at my dad with surprise written on his face.
“Dan?” My dad steps forward to shake the man’s hand.
“How the hell have you been?” Dan asks, pulling my dad in for a one-armed hug.
“Could be better. My son’s girl was brought in for question.”
“So you’re seeing Lilly?” the guy asks, turning towards me.
“Yes.”
“I know that this is hard, and I hate doing this, but it’s not my decision. I'm sorry that she is going through this, and if it makes you feel any better, I don’t believe that she did it. But the evidence is pointing in her direction,” Dan says, looking at my dad.
“I know that it’s a part of the job,” my dad says, and Dan nods his head.
“I know she didn’t do it,” I speak up.
“I’m sorry, but until we get evidence that proves otherwise, we are forced to go with what we have. Now, I informed Ms. Donovan that she is not allowed to leave the state, and that it would be best for her if she got a lawyer.”
“Done,” I say right away.
“Also, it wouldn’t hurt for her to have proof of her whereabouts on the days that the checks were cashed.”
“If you can get me the dates, I'm sure we can come up with that information. She and my daughter are usually with my son and me,” I say as Lilly starts heading back our way from the bathroom. Her face is pale, and her eyes are red and puffy from crying. I hate that she’s going through this. Once she reaches our group, I wrap an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into my side.
“Lilly, here are the papers that I told you about, and there is also a list of affordable lawyers in there that you can contact.”
“Thank you. And I know that the answer will probably be no, but do you think that I can get the address of the lady this happened to? I would like to see if she needs anything.”
“I'm sorry, but I can’t give that information out, but I can give her your information, and she can choose to contact you,” he says with a shrug.
“Okay, well, thank you,” she says quietly, taking the file folder from his hand.
“My card is in there as well, and if you need anything or have any questions, you call me.”
“I will, thank you,” she repeats, and I see the tears beginning to fill her eyes once again.
“Let’s get you out of here, baby,” I say softly, and then Trevor is there, taking her out of my arms and pulling her in for a hug.
“Don’t worry, sis. We’ll get this figured out,” he tells her, rocking her back and forth. I hear another loud sob come from her before Trevor transfers her into my arms.
“You good riding with dad?” I ask Trevor before scooping Lilly up into my arms. She doesn’t protest, just wraps her arms around my neck, laying her head against my shoulder.
“Yeah, man, call me tonight,” he says, looking at Lilly once more before shaking his head.
“Thanks for coming, Dad,” I say as we start making our way out of the building. Once outside, my dad holds open the door of the truck for me as I set Lilly inside, making sure she gets buckled in. When I'm done, I kiss her forehead, and then tilt her chin up to kiss her lips. “Give me a minute to talk to my dad, and then we can go.” She nods, not looking me in the eyes. “Look at me, baby.” She shakes her head. “Lilly, look at me.” Her eyes come up and meet mine. “This will all be worked out; I promise you.”
“Okay.” The word sounds defeated. I press my mouth to hers in another quick kiss before hopping out of the truck and slamming the door.
“You’re right; she didn’t do this,” my dad says, and Trevor nods in agreement.
“I know.” I pull off my hat, running my hands over my hair and face.
“I'm going to call Dan tonight and see if he can tell me anything as a friend. In the meantime, I want you to call our lawyer and get him on the case. Any of the lawyers in that folder are going to be severely over-worked and underpaid, and it will show in their work.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You know I got your back, and I'm glad you finally got your girl, son. I know what you had to deal with, and it was wrong of me to add Lilly into the same category as Jules without giving her a chance.”
“It’s fine. Can you tell Ma that I’ll come get the kids later, after I get her settled?”
“No problem,” he says, patting my shoulder. “Take care of your girl.”
“Call me if you need anything,” Trevor says as I walk around the front of my truck.
“Thanks, T.” I pull open the door to the cab of the truck and climb inside.
Once we pull up to the apartment, I look around realizing Lilly’s car isn’t in its usual spot. “Where’s your car, baby?”
“It wouldn’t start, so I had to get a ride with David from the school,” she says, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Why didn’t you call me?” I feel my pulse start to speed up. I hate that something happened to her and she didn’t call me. And it pisses me off that I'm pissed she was in a car with another man. I shut off the truck and turn my body towards her, resting my arm on the steering wheel, trying to look casual, even with the blood pumping more rapidly through my veins.
“You were working, and I didn’t want you to worry or hear you say that you were right about my car being a piece-of-crap.” She shrugs, opening the door and hopping out.
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Really?” She turns towards me, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Okay, I may have said that your car was a piece of shit.” I shrug and smile. Throwing my arm around her shoulders, I whisper into her ear, “Looks like you’re getting a new car, baby.”
“Um, no, I’m getting a lawyer. I am not going to have enough money for a new car.”
“Okay, first of all, you are going to be using my family’s lawyer, and second, I am paying for the car.”
“I don’t have the brain power to argue with you right now, but when I do, I will let you know that you’re not buying me a new car. And as for the lawyer thing, if I can afford him, that’s fine. If not, I will have to look somewhere else.”
“What part of that didn’t you understand?” I ask, pulling her to a stop and turning her towards me. I place my hands under her jaw, tilting her head back slightly. “I’m paying for the car.” I cover her mouth with mine before she has a chance to say anything. When I pull my mouth away, her lips are still close enough that they brush mine with each word I say. “You, our daughter, and occasionally Jax ride in that car. You three are the most important people in my life, and I will not have you riding around in a piece-of-shit car when I can easily get you something that is safe. And when the kids go to bed tonight, you’re going to explain to me why the f*ck you didn’t call me when your car broke down. And you better come up with something better than you didn’t want to bother me at work, ‘cause as of right now, my palm is itching, and I plan on spanking you for that shit.”
“Cash,” she says, her eyes heating as she licks her bottom lip.
“Jesus, you want that, baby?” I ask, pulling her closer to me.
“We haven’t—” she looks away without finishing, and I can’t help but groan when her cheeks turn pink.
“I’ve been trying to be good. Do you know how many times I’ve had to jerk off because of the state you’ve left me in?” I shake my head. “It’s too many to count.” I lean forward, running my nose up the length of her neck to her ear, where I bite down gently on her earlobe. “I can’t wait to be inside you. I can’t wait to hear the sounds you make when you come. I can’t wait to feel you squeezing my cock. I remember how wet you were when my mouth was on you and my fingers were deep inside you. I can’t wait to feel that wet heat wrapped tight around me.”
“Lilly,” I hear a man call and my head comes up. Lilly’s hands hold my t-shirt tightly in her fists. I look towards Lilly’s apartment, seeing the guy from the police station coming down the stairs.
“Who the f*ck is this guy, Lil?” I ask. Her eyes come to mine, and she blinks a few times like she’s trying to clear her head before she looks over her shoulder.
“That’s David; we work together.”
“He’s a teacher?”
“Yeah, he teaches second grade.” She turns in his direction. “Hey, David.”
“I was so worried, Lil. I didn’t know what to do,” he says, stepping closer and grabbing her hand. The fact that he used ‘Lil’ instead of Lilly and now has his hands on her is making me bite down on the inside of my cheek hard. This is what Trevor was saying. F*ck me.
“It’s fine, just a misunderstanding. Thank you for stopping by, but I will see you after the weekend,” she says, pulling her hand back to her side.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“Yeah, Cash is here, and we’re going to go get our kids.” My heart jumps at her words, and I want to pound my chest.
“Kids?” I see a slight flash of annoyance and anger cross his face before he hides it, and then his eyebrows draw together in confusion.
“Well, you’ve met Ashlyn,” she says and he nods, “and Cash has a son named Jax.”
“I see.” He looks at me, then back at Lilly. “If you need anything, give me a call. Have a good weekend, and I will see you at school on Monday.” He steps forward, pulling Lilly in for a hug. Her body goes ridged and she pulls away quickly, putting a small fake smile on her face.
I watch as David gets into a newer Nissan, and after he’s in the car, he sits and watches us for a second before starting it up and backing out of the parking lot.
“He only works with you?” I ask her, because the look on the guy’s face when she told him that we were together was one of jealousy.
“Yes.” She pulls away and starts up the stairs to her apartment.
“Has he ever asked you out?”
“Once,” she mumbles before shoving the key in the lock and opening the door.
“Just once?” I ask, because when she’s lying her words are always drawn out to sound more like a question than an answer.
“Okay, fine, a couple of times.” We make our way back to her bedroom. She goes to the closet, pulling out a bag, and starts shoving clothes into it. I stand next to the bed, trying to think of something to say. My mind is turning over; I used to get jealous before when we first started dating, but it was nothing like the feeling I have right now.
“You said no, right?” My fists clench at the thought of her seeing David—f*ck, seeing any man who’s not me.
“Is that a real question?”
“Yes,” I say through my teeth, wondering why the f*ck I’m doing this. I really don’t want to know, and I’m acting like Asher or Trevor with their territorial, over-protective asses.
“I have never gone out with him. We work together, and he is kind of a friend.”
“How is he ‘kind of a friend’?”
“You know, Cash, you’re starting to make me feel like you don’t trust me. I told you we never dated. I told you we work together, and I told you he is a friend. Now unless you want to give me a polygraph, you’re going to have to take my word for it.”
“I hate knowing that you called him instead of me,” I tell her the truth.
“I never called him.” She shakes her head and looks at me like I’m crazy. “We left the school at the same time; he was parked next to me, and when my car wouldn’t start, he offered to give me a ride home. I knew your mom had Ashlyn, so I was planning on coming home, changing, and calling you, that way you could take me to my car later and look at it. But when I got home, the police were here waiting for me, so that kind of ruined all of my plans.”
“Will you promise me not to go anywhere alone with that guy?” This is not about me being a jealous a*shole…okay, maybe it is a little bit…but there is something about him that sets my teeth on edge.
“Cash.” She shakes her head.
“Baby, it’s not that I don’t trust you.” Her eyes narrow, making her look adorable. My hands go under her jaw, titling her head back. “Something about him doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Is it because he has a penis?” she taunts. I smile and lean in to kiss her.
“No, smart ass, it’s not because he has a penis,” I say against her mouth.
“Cash,” she says softly; my eyes go from her mouth to her eyes. “He has been nothing but nice. Just, please, trust me.”
“I do trust you,” I tell her honestly. Not only do I trust her, I love her. Maybe Trevor is right in a f*cked-up kind of way, and I need to tell her that I love her…put it out there.
“So just know that I will not put myself in a situation that something could happen to me,” she says, running a hand through my hair. My eyes close when her soft hand travels down my neck and up my jaw.
“Do you know that I love you?” I ask as my eyes open, looking into hers. I hear her quick inhale and she shakes her head, her eyes searching my face. “I never stopped loving you. I didn’t know how much of the old you was in this newer version,” I smirk, “but I found out that I love the new you just as much, if not more. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” I pull her against me, resting my cheek on top of her head.
“I love you too,” she says, making me smile and feel lighter than I’ve felt for the last two months—hell, the last few years.