“Ly…” He takes a deep breath. “I know I have no right to ask…but I need to know if you still feel the same. Or have I screwed things up? Have I lost you?”
I close my eyes on a blink. My mind is running at the speed of light. I’m trying to grab on to something, anything…
Anger. Pain. Want. Need.
I could argue and fight this, fight how I feel for him. I could walk away because of a mistake he made when we weren’t together.
Or I can forgive him. Put it behind us and let us start from now.
I’m working toward forgiving Dex for what he did to me. The least I can do is try the same for Tom.
I open my eyes. “I’m in love you, Tom. That doesn’t stop just because you act like a dick.”
He moves his forehead down, his nose moving over my skin, as he breathes me in. “I am a dick.”
“Yeah, you are. The biggest dick ever. And I don’t mean that in a flattering way.”
He lets out a soft chuckle. “So…I haven’t lost you?”
“No, you haven’t lost me.”
“Thank God.” His arms come around me, his face buried in my neck. I feel the relief in his body. I hear it in his breaths.
And that’s when I realize just how much I mean to Tom.
The knowledge soaks into every part of me, warming me.
Lifting his head, he slides his fingers around the nape of my neck and up into my hair. “I’ll make it up to you, I swear,” he whispers the promise over my lips.
“I know.” I press my hand to his face.
“I’m nothing without you, Ly. I just don’t work without you. You’ve broken me.” He smiles. “You are everything to me, and I will spend the rest of my life showing you that you didn’t make the worst mistake of your life by falling in love with a mut like me.”
“You’re not a mut. You’re an ex-mut.”
“An ex-mut. I like it. Makes me sound badass.”
“You’re an idiot.” I laugh, slapping his chest.
“And you’re beautiful.”
Then, his hands are on my ass, and he picks me up off the floor, causing me to squeal in surprise. I wrap my legs around his waist.
“I seriously fucking love you, Lyla Summers.”
“Good, because I seriously fucking love you, Thomas Carter.” I trace my fingers over the stubble on his jaw. “But the beard has gotta go.”
He grins. “Whatever you want, darlin’.”
Then, he kisses me. A breath-stealing, toe-curling kiss. I can feel Tom pouring everything into this kiss…all of himself into this one kiss…showing me with his body how much he really does love me.
“So, it’s been two weeks,” he says, coming up for air. “That’s twenty-eight orgasms I owe you on top of the rest still outstanding.”
I bite my lip in thought. “We don’t have that long. I have to pick up Aunt Steph and Uncle Paul from the airport in a few hours and take them to see Dex.”
“So, we’d better get started.” He carries me over to the sofa, taking us both down to it. He slips his hand up my top. “And I’ll come with you to pick them up. Meet your family.”
He wants to meet my family? This will be a big thing, especially for someone like Tom.
“Are you sure you want to meet my family? It’s not too soon?”
His hand stops on its path to my boob. “I already met your brother.”
“And you punched him.”
He gives a slip of a grin. “In my defense, he did deserve to be punched.”
“Yes…he did,” I agree.
“So, can I meet your family if I promise not to punch your uncle?”
“I’m happy for you to meet my family.” I giggle as his fingers whisper over my ribcage, tickling me. “I just don’t want you to feel pressured. Meeting the family is a big thing.”
“Nothing is too big when it comes to you.” His mouth drops to mine, his lips brushing gently over mine. “Don’t you get it yet?”
I slide my arms around his neck, winding my fingers into his hair. My heart is so full of everything…full of him.
“Get what?” I whisper.
His eyes stare deep into mine. “That this is it…you and me…we’re forever. You’re my heaven, Firecracker.”
One Week Later—A Huge House, Littleborough, England
“…the luckiest man in the world to have her here with me right now. I’m even luckier that she agreed to marry my sorry ass.”
I watch on from my seat next to Tom as Jake leans down and kisses his bride.
We’re at Jake and Tru’s house in Littleborough for their wedding reception.
Jake surprised Tru with a wedding at their special place called Lumb Falls here in the UK. It was so romantic and a really beautiful wedding.
When Jake had called Tom to let him know about his upcoming nuptials, I had been with Tom. Tom had told Jake that we were together. I’d heard Jake say to Tom that it was about fucking time.
That had made me smile.
When Tom had gotten off the phone, he’d told me that both Jake and Denny had been on him during the two weeks we were apart. Apparently, they had gotten sick of his mopey, unshowered, and moody ass, and they’d told him to get his fucking act together, and apologize to me, and then beg me to take his sorry ass back.
With me now being Tom’s girlfriend, Jake had invited me to the wedding.
So, we had flown over to England, and I just got to see the most romantic wedding ever.
Now, we’re just finishing up listening to the speeches after eating an amazing dinner.
Jake takes his seat after finishing off his speech, and now, we’re all clapping and cheering, raising our glasses to toast the happy couple.
Tom has his arm slung around the back of my chair, his fingers playing with my hair, while he catcalls Jake for being sappy. Although he is teasing, I can see Tom’s eyes are shining.
I lean over and whisper in his ear, “Tom Carter, are you about to cry?”
He stares at me in horror. “Of course I’m not gonna fucking cry. Um…all male here.” He emphasizes by thumping his hand against his chest. “I don’t cry.”
I know that’s not true. A week ago, I’d held Tom while he cried in my arms after he told me about his dad. But I won’t remind him of that. I’ll leave him with his man pride intact.
“He cried at Forrest Gump,” Denny says, leaning across the table from his seat next to Tom. “We watched it one night back when we were in college, and he cried like a fucking baby at that part when Lieutenant Dan turns up at Forrest’s wedding. Magic Legs,” Denny says in a Forrest Gump voice. “I called Tom Magic Legs for about a year after that.” He chuckles.