Page 141 of After All This Time

"Oh, come on. You were never the 'settle down with one girl'type."

"Because none of those women were her. It's that simple."

She stares at me for a beat, then grins. "Call her back and get her to come here. I'll give her a free tattoo as a reward for taming your ass."

"Firstly, if anyone is going to tattoo her,it'll be me. Second, you're one to talk. You've probably had more pussy than I ever have."

"What can I say?"She shrugs, smirking. "I know what I'm doing better than any man."

"Gonna strongly disagree with you there,"I mutter, shaking my head. "But, yeah, I've heard a lot of men can't tell the difference between a tit and a clit."

"Which is where I come in."She gestures dramatically, holding her arms out like she expects applause. "But seriously, Tobias, are you happy?"

Her tone shifts, and I meet her gaze. "So damn happy."

"Then that's all that matters. Fuck everyone else."

Her words stick with me as I finish my last piercing for the day. The second I'm done, I'm out the door, desperate to get home and kiss the life out of my girl.

The moment I step into the apartment, my feet carry me straight to her room like they've got a mind of their own. She's perched at her vanity, fingers fumbling with a delicate silver chain, and for a second, I just watch.

Eventually, I step behind her, brushing her hands away gently to take over. My fingers easily find the clasp, securing the chain as my eyes lock onto hers in the mirror. I lower my lips to the nape of her neck and allow myself to indulge in her scent before I place a soft kiss on her skin.

"Have I told you how proud of you I am?"

"A couple of times."I wrap my arms around her waist, settling my head on her shoulder, and holy fuck, if this isn't the most boyfriend thing I've ever done. And I'm here for it. All of it. The way she melts back against me like she belongs there? Yeah, that shit's addictive.

"What did they say? I want to know everything,"I urge, watching her reflection closely.

She tips her head, and I see the moment she goes back there in her mind. "I almost ran. I watched a few people go before me,and my confidence just… disappeared. Like, full-on fell out of my ass."

My arms tighten instinctively. "What made you stay?"

"My dad."Her voice goes soft, tender in a way that makes my chest squeeze, and when our eyes meet in the mirror, hers are swimming with tears. This is Amelia, the girl who never cries, wearing her heart on her sleeve. "This was everything he wanted for me. And I won't let fear run my life."

I pull her closer, my arms tightening around her like I can shield her from anything that might threaten this happiness.

"Then I thought about you,"she whispers.

"Me?"

She nods, turning in my arms until we're face to face. Her fingers thread through my hair, tugging me closer into her space. "The only other thing that scares me this much is you. The thought of not having you."

She's stuck with me. Every morning. Every night. Every messy moment in between.

"The tour…"She hesitates, and my stomach drops. "It starts in a month."

The reality of her words crashes down, and I know she's been dreading this moment. My grip tightens, and I force myself to stay present and not spiral into what this means. She needs me here now. The rest, we'll figure out together.

"I don't expect you to put your life on hold for me." Her voice wavers just enough to make my chest tight. "Whatever our relationship is, it's new. But when I come home—if you still want me—I'm yours."

My heart damn near stops. "What does that mean, Firefly? I need you to be specific with me here."

"It means that I want you—all of you. I want us. I want the storm it'll create and the mess and chaos that being with you will bring. I know it's bad timing, but…"

I'm so fucking wrecked for this woman.

"I swear to god, Mills, I will break every clock on this fucking planet to prove to you that none of this is bad timing."

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