Page 207 of Forever

“You are so gorgeous,” Matt said.

My eyes met his in our reflection. The crackling fire sent shadows dancing across his features. And I saw it all. Our whole story staring back at me. I saw him washing my cut in the bathroom at that stupid party I was catering. Isaw him sitting down next to me in the cafeteria. Him turning around and talking to me in class. Him demanding I take off Felix’s jacket. Him dancing on the homecoming float. Him holding me when I cried every night, missing my uncle. Him proposing. Twice. Him fighting to win me back after 16 years. Him continuously showing up and learning to love the new me. Him sending me 16 years’ worth of yellow roses to make up for our time apart. Him treating my son like his own. Such small moments that would last forever in my heart.

I felt tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Baby.” He slowly pulled out of me. “Did I hurt…”

“No.” I turned around and looked up at him. “You healed me.” Just like Tanner had said he would. If I let him in again.

Matt dropped his forehead to mine. “You healed me. By coming back to me.”

I tried to blink away my tears. “You were right.” I took a deep breath. “I want to cherish this moment.” I slowly unbuttoned his vest as he tilted my chin up so he could kiss me.

Not a rushed kiss like 16 years ago in the auditorium. A slow one. Like we had all the time in the world. And God, I hoped we did. I hoped my curse didn’t extend to him. Because I knew I couldn’t live without him.

He’d always been there. Even when I tried to ignore his existence.

He was my rock.

He was my shoulder to cry on.

He was my home.

He was everything to me.

I pushed his vest off his broad shoulders and undid his tie as his tongue swirled around mine. I unbuttoned his shirt next and pushed it off too. My fingers ran down hissix-pack as he somehow managed to undo the rest of the buttons on my dress. I felt it pool around my ankles at the same time I pushed down his tuxedo pants and boxers.

I pulled back from our kiss and looked up at him. I was still getting used to this version of him. For so long, he’d been frozen at 16 in my mind. “I can’t believe we found our way back to each other.”

“It’s fate,” he whispered against my lips.

“But you never deserved to be in pain for 16 years, Matt.” I hated that he thought that. That he’dlivedthat.

“Maybe I just needed 16 years to grow up to be worthy of you.”

I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair. “I was always the one reaching. You were way out of my league.”

He smiled down at me. “Not a chance in hell, Brooklyn.” He took a step forward, caging me in against the glass. “I’m the luckiest man on earth because you chose me.” He ran his thumb along the scar on my stomach. “Twice.”

“I’m the lucky one.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him again. “And I want to make love to my husband.”My husband.I felt a lump in my throat. But I refused to think about the pain right now. I just wanted to focus on him. Because I needed him to know he was wrong. He’d always been worthy of me. When we’d first fallen in love, we were so young. And foolish. We’d both made mistakes. But what mattered was that we were here right now. Together. Forever.

I left my heartache behind as he lifted me back into his arms.

He laid me down in front of the fire again.

“Now, where were we?” He leaned down and kissed my ankle.

I groaned. “Not again.”

He laughed against my skin and sat back. “Then how about you show me exactly what you want.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me on top of him as he lay down.

I straddled his waist and slowly lowered my hips, letting him sink inside of me.God yes.I put my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as I moved my hips up and down.

At first he let me set the pace. He ran his index finger along the necklace he gave me, and then his fingers trailed down my bicep and forearm, until stopping at my hand. He lifted my hand and kissed where my rings sat. The rings he’d given me.

I shifted my hips and he groaned and dropped my hand. I leaned forward, pressing my breasts in his face.

He mumbled something unintelligible against my chest. It sounded a whole lot like “perfection.” And I couldn’t stop smiling.

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