Page 122 of Ten Rules for Faking It
She smoothed her fingers along his forehead crease and then pressed her mouth there. Her heart danced in her chest as she grinned at him.
“They sleep on my bed. With me. I hope you don’t mind a crowded bed,” she said.
He started to speak, but she cut him off. “They’re not a couple. They’re actually brother and sister. I needed them because I’ve wanted kittens for a while now but was afraid to make the leap. I mean, what if it didn’t work out? What if they tear my furniture up? What if they wreck my stuff or hate me? What if they hate each other and fight all the time?”
Chris’s grin sent spirals of pleasure through her body. “That’s a lot of what-ifs.”
She nodded. “That’s how my brain works. It can be exhausting.” She said it with a smile but meant it as a warning.
He pulled her close. “Good thing I’ve never needed much sleep. You can’t get rid of me now, Everly.”
Her fingers curled into his shoulders. Happiness was almost as terrifying as fear. “I don’t want to get rid of you. I love you, remember?”
He laughed. “Trust me, I won’t forget. You won’t forget I feel the same. Because I’ll tell you over and over and over again.”
She could definitely live with that.
[41]
Everly carefully inched up in the bed until her back was against the headboard. She used the flashlight on her phone to locate the folded piece of paper she’d set on her nightstand. Glancing over at Chris to make sure she hadn’t woken him, she unfolded the paper she’d read a dozen times. The words were etched on her heart, but she liked seeing them in print. Chris slept with Mac curled up in the crook of his arm and Wallace on his stomach. His very drool-worthy, sculpted stomach that she’d spent considerable time admiring up close.
The sound of his breathing and the kittens’ dual purrs were the best soundtrack she’d ever heard.
She read over the words one more time, imprinting them on her brain before turning out the light and snuggling into Chris and the kitties. But she didn’t sleep. She just lay there, smiling into the dark, thinking about his list. And how incredibly happy she was that she’d stepped outside her comfort zone so she could be sure that where she landed was exactly where she was meant to be.
Ten Reasons It Will Only Ever Be You
The thought of you fills me with this inexplicable happiness.
Your face is the first thing I want to see every day. What I want to fall asleep to every night.
I’ve become addicted to making you laugh, just to hear the sound.
I love the way you analyze a situation from every possible angle. Including ones I didn’t know existed.
You don’t just make me want to be a better man, you make me feel like one.
Nothing is impossible beside you.
You’re sexy, adorable, pretty, brave, and amazing. (That’s technically more than one, but it’s all sort of wrapped up in an incredible package.)
Your heart. You give so much without asking anything in return. It makes me want to give you everything. Forever.
You don’t want to go out every night. (Don’t tell Noah, but I’m actually happier in small groups, too. Like groups of two. You and me.)
Your brain. It fascinates me the way you have a thousand thoughts to every one of mine. I could spend eternity listening to you.
I love you. I’m in love with you. I’ll choose you every single day forever if you give me the chance. I won’t give up or give in. It’ll always only be you.
