Page 101 of Starting Over with You
She lets out a very unladylike snort, and I grin. “Funnel cakes are life.”
“Watching you eat one is an erotic experience,” I tell her, and her eyes darken. “There was no way I could look away. And once Missy was shaking the Polaroid, I saw the moment they knew I was into you. They glared at me, and when you went to the bathroom, they told me it couldn’t happen because I was leaving for college and they wouldn’t let me break your heart.” She presses her lips together and looks away. “I wouldn’t have, by the way.”
“I know,” she whispers as her eyes fall shut. “I just wish you would have said something.” I nod and watch as she wipes her face free of tears again. “We have both been miserable for so long, and that was completely avoidable.”
“Maybe. But what if we were too young?” I ask since that is something I have pondered over the years. “What if we needed this time? What if, now that we have this chance, we’ll treasure each other even more?”
Another tear falls, and I reach out, wiping it away with my thumb before she can. She shifts her eyes to mine, and I smile. “I would wait for you my whole life, KenniLeigh.”
More tears stream down her face as she slowly shakes her head. “But if you had made the move earlier, then I wouldn’t be this broken woman with baggage.”
I blink. “You’re not broken.”
She digs her fingers into her eyes, and a sob bursts from her lips. “What was supposed to be a quick divorce is turning into hell on wheels. I don’t even know how to love after years of thinking I was in love with a man who was cheating on me for so long. I poured my whole self into my boys, just so I didn’t feel what he was doing to me. I mean, hell, Dean. How can you say that I’m anything but broken?”
Unable to handle what she is saying, I take her by her arms and drag her toward me. Her ass lands on my lap, and I wrap my arms around her neck to press my forehead to hers. Her eyes are clenched shut, her makeup and tears running down her gorgeous face. “Open your eyes, darlin’.”
She swallows before doing as I ask. Her eyes are so sad that I feel my own burning with tears. “Your dad told me tonight that you wasted your best years on that man, but I don’t see it that way.” Her eyes widen, and I nod. “Yeah, he knows. And you know what I told him? I told the only man I’ve ever feared that the best years of your life will be the ones we have together.” Another sob breaks free, and I squeeze her closer, her fingers coming up to clench my thin tee. “There is absolutely nothing broken about you.You are strong, you are resilient. You stayed with a man so that your boys had a father. You got your education and worked, without anyone knowing. You walked away on your terms and kicked him right in the balls. You made sure your boys are set for life. You came home, not with your tail between your legs, but with your head held high and ready to live foryou.” Her lip wobbles, and I kiss it softly. “Kenni, I am in awe of you.”
She strokes her fingers over the stubble along my jaw. “You waited for me.”
“I did, and I always will.”
“You were lonely.”
“But knowing I’d have you one day was enough.”
Another tear slips down her cheek. I wipe it away, and so much love comes over her face. “I would have chosen you,” she whispers, and my heart explodes in my chest.
“Choose me, darlin’. Every day.”
Her tears fall even faster as she looks down at my lips. She pulls in a deep breath through her nose, and I don’t know why she still looks so unsure. “Kenni?—”
She shakes her head, cutting off my words. “I need to throw up, so I’m gonna go do that. I need to think.”
My brows slam together. “About what?”
She shrugs. “Everything?” she asks with a hiccup. “I am so overwhelmed by this, and I don’t know what to think.”
I hold her gaze. “Know that I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know,” she says before throwing the door open and sliding off my lap. “I don’t want you to, but I’m scared I’m not good enough for you.”
“You’re too good for me,” I say without hesitation.
Her eyes flash with love, and I’m breathless. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
I hesitate. “Yeah, I don’t like this at all.”
She hiccups, then swallows. “Give me a few.”
Against my better judgment, I agree. “Only if you promise to sleep in our bed.”
She burps and then sends me a smirk. “Our bed?”
“Our,” I vow, and she nods. I go to follow her, to make sure she gets settled and maybe hold her hair as she pukes, but then the radio sounds.
“Cap, we have a situation out at Reindeer Rumpus Ranch. Sebastian has fallen and is asking for you.”
