Fall (VIP #3)(136)

Hot tears well in my eyes, and John thumbs them away as they roll down my cheeks. I’m a mess with him.

“I want that too,” I say. “Buying me a house is a beautiful, if somewhat shocking gesture.”

He laughs low and soft, only now appearing the slightest bit chagrined.

I lean in closer, touching his jaw. “But it’s not a home if you aren’t with me.”

John presses his forehead against mine. “I love you, Stella. I don’t want to go through this life without you. Please believe that. Please believe that I’ll try to do better. I’ll try to—”

I kiss him quiet. It’s a soft kiss, a press of lips to lips, but John groans deep in his throat and takes over, grasping the back of my neck to hold me in place as his mouth opens over mine. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how good it is to kiss him. The visceral punch I feel through my body still takes my breath.

With one last kiss, John cups my cheeks and meets my gaze, his eyes tender and wide. “We’re going to be okay.”

It isn’t a question, but I answer anyway. “Of course we are. We’re going to be forever.”