My eyes widened as I searched his gaze for the truth, but it was plain to see. He’d meant every word he just said.
“What?” I breathed, still in disbelief.
He reached out and cupped my face with his big, rough hand. My mind told me to pull away, to turn away, but I didn’t. I stood there and let him hold me like he’d never hurt me before.
“I’m so in love with you, Callie, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve loved you from the second our eyes met in the kitchen all those months ago. Every minute of every day I’ve only fallen deeper in love with you. I tried to stay away because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to be with you and still take care of my mom, but I can’t keep my distance anymore. I tried to be your friend because I thought it’d be better to have you in my life like that if I couldn’t have you like I wanted you, but that didn’t work either.”
He looked away and took a deep breath before meeting my eyes again. “I’ve tried running, I’ve tried forgetting, I’ve tried outright lying, and it all still led me back to you. You’re where I’m meant to be. You’re who I’m meant to be with. With everything in me, I know I was made for you and I’m done being afraid of that.”
He leaned in and kissed my forehead, his lips so soft and sweet I barely felt them. “Callie, I need you like I’ve never needed anything in my entire life. My whole world revolves around you and I’m lost when you’re not there. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I swear to you, if you give me just one more chance, I’ll make up for all of it. I’ll never hurt you again. I’ll never leave you again. You’re it for me.”
I blinked at him slowly as my mind tried to catch up. It spun so fast with everything that just happened I was almost dizzy. I didn’t know how to react or what to say, and I was so sacred to believe him.
“How do I know this is real?” I whispered as another tear rolled down my face. “How do I know you’re not going to change your mind again?” I asked. I realized my whole body was shaking beneath his hands and I fought to still my limbs, but it was no use.
He pulled me to his chest, and I was too weak to fight it. His warm arms wrapped around my shoulders while he rested his chin on my head. “Callie girl, you’re breaking my heart,” he whispered into my hair. He took a deep breath and continued, “No matter what dumbass thing I did, I always came back to you. I couldn’t help it. You’re the center of my whole universe. The difference now is, I’m never leaving again. Not unless you tell me to go. Even then, I’d put up a fight.” He chuckled.
I buried my face in his chest and took a deep inhale of his warm leather scent before shaking my head. “I don’t know, Wyatt,” I said so softly I’m sure he could barely hear me. “I’m scared,” I said even quieter.
He grasped both my biceps and pushed me far enough away that he could meet my eyes again. “I’m scared too.” He swallowed hard before continuing. “I’m scared I’ll fuck up again. I’m scared I’ll hurt you again. I’m scared I’ll lose you.” He clenched his jaw and looked away before catching my gaze again. “But I’m going to try as hard as I can to make sure none of that happens. You’re the most important thing in my world and I’m going to spend every day proving that to you for as long as you’ll let me.”
It started off slow. Just a few irregular beats from my poor, broken heart. But as I stared into his earnest gaze, as I let the feel of his hands on my skin seep into my bones, this warmth took the place of all the cold inside me. It began in my chest and slowly crept through my veins.
It felt like a new beginning.
It felt like hope.
It felt like love.
I grabbed his shirt and fisted it in my hand. “Wyatt.”
His lips curled into a smile that set my heart beating even faster. “Yes, love.”
I closed my eyes, took a shaky breath and let it out slowly, knowing I was taking the biggest leap of faith I’d ever taken in my life. “Kiss me,” I whispered.
His smile grew before he dug his fingers into my curly hair and swooped down to capture my lips with his.
Even though we’d shared a few kisses in the past, none of them compared to this one. It had a depth, a reverence I’d never felt before. It shook me to my core, changing me from the inside out as I kissed him back.
I knew nothing would ever be the same between us after this. Instead of that fact filling me with fear and trepidation like it had last time, I only felt love. I only felt him. I only felt this moment and the endless possibilities that came with it.
Chapter 29
Callie
“This is your last chance, Carter,” I gasped, pulling my mouth away from his.
Wyatt continued to kiss my cheeks, my nose, my eyelids. “I know, love. I don’t need another chance after this.”
He found my lips again and I lost long moments in that kiss, savoring the taste and feel of his mouth against mine until another thought came to me. “And no more running away from me. I’m sick of only seeing your backside.”
He grinned against my mouth before trailing kisses along my jawline. “There you go, talking
