Page 193 of Need You To Choose Me

“It’s not like that.”

She turns in my arms, those tear-stained blue eyes throwing daggers at me.

“Then how is it, huh? How is it, Blake?” she yells, her curled fist connecting with my chest. “I saw the phone call! Here I was trying to come up with a way to ask you to move in together, all the while you were planning on leaving?”

Wait, what?

Savannah shakes her head, and continues, her breathing ragged, “I guess I should have known something was going on when you put together that nursery for me at my place, when we’ve all but been living together for the last few months, and you never said anything again. Not after?—”

“Fucking hell, woman,” I growl, my hands cupping her cheeks as I pull her in for a kiss, the only way I knew how to shut her up.

Savannah’s eyes grow wide in surprise as I slide my fingers to the back of her neck, tangling them in her hair as I hold her in place.

For a moment, she tries to fight me, but it doesn’t take long for me to coax her compliance. What starts off as a hard kisssoon turns into gentle caresses of my tongue against hers until her body relaxes against mine.

I can taste the saltiness of her tears on my tongue, so I disentangle my fingers and swipe my thumb over her cheek, wiping them away.

Breaking the kiss, I press my forehead against hers, my voice coming out rough. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that? But it’s my own damn fault for not telling you anything.”

Savannah bites into her wobbling lip. “It’s fine, just go, we’ll be?—”

Once again, I press my mouth against hers, biting into her lower lip in warning. “Will you let me finish?” I shake my head in exasperation. “Yes, my coach called me. And yes, they offered me to come back as a coach…” Savannah opens her mouth, so I hurry up. “I told them no.”

“They…What?”

“I told them no. That day when I was in Austin, and my coach first brought it up, I told them no. That’s why they’ve been calling me. They wanted to see if I changed my mind, but I haven’t. I’m retired for good, and that’s exactly what I told them.”

Savannah just stares at me, her mouth open. “You told them…no?”

“I’m not going anywhere, Blondie. That’s why I didn’t tell you in the first place, a mistake I’m not planning to make again, by the way. In my head, there was nothing to tell. There was only one path for me. One choice. And that choice is you.”

“Are you insane? You love football!”

I let out a humorless chuckle. Didn’t she see it? Knowing Savannah, probably not. Only Savannah could get upset with me for hiding something, and then later try and convince me that my choice is a mistake.

“Not as much as I love you.” I slide my finger under her chin. “Nothing will ever compare to you, Blondie. I want you. I want our kids and sleepless nights. I want to teach Daniel how to fix his truck and coach Levi’s football team. I want to sit with you at the bonfire and take our kids to the town fair. I want all of those little moments, and I want them with you. Nothing will ever compare to that. Nothing will ever compare toyou.”

“Blake…” My name is a soft whisper. She bites the inside of her cheek, but there is no stopping the tears that slide down her face.

“I will always choose you, Blondie.” I wipe the tears away, pressing my forehead against hers, and breathe her in. “Always.”

“I choose you too, Blake,” she murmurs as more tears spill down. “Gosh, I’m a mess. I hate these hormones.”

“That’s one of us.” Tilting her head back, I press my mouth against hers in a gentle kiss. “I’ll take all your mess”—kiss—“and emotions”—kiss—“and fears”—kiss—“and I’ll crush them one by one until there is no doubt in your mind that this is real. That we’re real, and I love you. That I will always love you.”

Her fingers splay over my cheeks, and those crystal blue eyes stare into mine. “I love you, too, Blake, and it scares me. It scares me so much because the thought of losing you. Of losing those boys…”

“We’re not going anywhere. Now, about that living situation you mentioned earlier…” I brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Did you mean it?”

Savannah bites the inside of her cheek. “I know the boys might not be open to the idea, and if that’s the case, I completely understand and respect that. They’ve been through so much in the last year, I don’t want to put them through more stress, however…”

Her throat bobs as she swallows.

“However?” I urge, needing her to say it.

“I want us to live together. All of us. I want our baby to grow up in a loving home with both parents and siblings.”

“We’ll talk to them.” I nod in agreement. “See how they feel about us moving into your house.”

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