Page 77 of If You Love Me

Tyrion wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my cheek. “We’re proud of you, love. Come on, let me fix you a plate.”

I happily followed him into the kitchen where he fixed me a little of everything available. We sat, ate, talked, and laughed, just like we used to do so long ago. The only difference was the addition of our children. We had to be mindful of the stories we told and the language we used, but I had a great time, nonetheless. Once we finished eating, we migrated into the living room to watch a movie.

The girls had made themselves comfortable on the floor, while Nina curled up in Jaime’s lap. I sat next to Tyrion, gradually inching closer until my head rested on his shoulder, where I stayed the rest of the movie. The itis kicked in toward the end, and I found myself falling asleep.

Nina put an end to that when she put on some music. The six of us were lit in that living room like we were back in our club days during college. I hadn’t danced that much in so long, but I was having the time of my life.

When the smooth sounds of “You” by Jesse Powell came through the speakers, I smiled. My eyes found Tyrion’s, and he, too, was smiling. This was the song that played as I walked down the aisle to him. He found himself in my space reaching for my hand. I didn’t hesitate to give it to him.

He pulled me into the middle of the living room and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest. Together,we slow danced like there was no one else in the room. Our wedding day was one of my fondest memories. It was one of the memories I used to escape to in my head when things became overwhelming in the basement.

“This brings back memories,” Tyrion said, as though he read my thoughts.

“It does.”

“You were so beautiful that day. Watching you walk down the aisle to me is something I can never forget. I’d been dreaming about that moment since I was sixteen years old.”

“You always told me you were going to marry me. You were so sure of yourself.”

“Loving you is something I could never be unsure of.”

I pulled back and looked up at him, pausing in our dance. His eyes and his tone were sincere. If I’d ever questioned his love, those two things always grounded me. One thing about this man, he couldn’t lie. His eyes always told the truth.

I’d been staring at him so long that I didn’t realize the song had gone off until Nina bumped me with her hip.

“You two have all night to make googly eyes at each other. This is supposed to be a party.”

She grabbed my hand and spun me around. Summer took my place, dancing with her father as Jersey danced with Jaime. Just like that, the party was back in motion. I was thankful that our home was in the country; otherwise, our neighbors would be throwing a fit at the volume of the music.

By the time things died down and they left, I was exhausted. Summer Rose went to get ready for bed, and I followed suit. Tyrion had followed me to the guest bedroom to say good night. We weren’t in a space where I would sleep next to him just yet.

“Thank you for this,” I said, looking up at him. “I really enjoyed myself.”

“You don’t have to thank me, love. The smile on your beautiful face is thanks enough.” He reached out and cupped my chin. “I hope you sleep well.”

Leaning in, he kissed my cheek. As he pulled away, our eyes lingered on each other for a moment. I couldn’t help myself. I missed him, I loved him, and I needed to feel some part of him. Cupping his face, I pressed my lips to his. He didn’t hesitate to kiss me back. Before long, our lips and tongues were intertwined in a heavy battle for dominance. His big hands groped and caressed me in ways that made my body quiver.

It wasn’t until Summer’s room door opened and she stepped out did we break free from each other. She stared at us with a grin on her pretty face.

“I was just going to the bathroom,” she said. “Pretend you don’t see me.”

She covered her face in a fit of giggles and sprinted across the hall to the bathroom. Tyrion and I both laughed.

“Good night, love,” he said.

“Good night.”

24

Tyrion

It was Saturday, and my weekend of catering to my girls was still underway. After the mini party last night, we were all exhausted. We ended up sleeping way longer than expected today. I woke up around nine, and both Evenie and Summer Rose were still knocked out. My baby had found her way into the guest room and was cuddled up with her mother. Both of their mouths were wide open, and both of them were snoring.

I chuckled to myself as I snapped a picture of them before closing the door. I made my way into the kitchen to start breakfast. After deciding on a spread of bacon, grits, eggs, and French toast, I gathered my ingredients to start cooking. Breakfast was almost done when Evenie moseyed her way into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” I said, stirring the grits.

“Good morning.”

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