Page 98 of I Knew He Was Trouble
I step closer to her. “But if there’s the smallest shred in you that thinks you could return my feelings, then please believe. Believe that love is so much more than the cheap version you saw between your parents. Believe that my love for you isn’t conditional and will fade away when life gets hard. Believe that I’m going to push you to achieve your greatest dreams and support you as you chase them. Believe that I love you and am never going to stop.”
“But what about when life gets hard and you don’t feel like this? When you don’t love me anymore.” Kelsey’s head falls, more tears trickling down her cheeks.
I tilt her chin up, brushing a feather-light kiss to her forehead. “Love may start as a feeling. Something all-consuming and so happy you could never imagine feeling differently. But staying together is a choice, Kels. Feelings fade just like the sun disappears below the horizon every evening. But we must consciouslychooseto be together—toloveeach other—just as faithfully as the sun rises again each morning.”
She wipes the tears from her eyes, and a small smile tugs at her lips. “You really are a romantic, aren’t you?”
“Through and through.” I kiss her temple.
“I love you, too,” she says so whisper-soft, I’m not sure I heard correctly.
Pulling my head back, I search her eyes. “Did you just say that you love me?”
She nods. “I’m scared, Tyler.”
“It wouldn’t be calledfallingin love if it wasn’t scary. It’s a leap of faith.” I wrap my arms around her waist. “But I’m always going to catch you. You don’t have toneedme, Kels. You just have tochooseme.” I pull her against me, our bodies pressed together, and rest my forehead against hers. “I can’t promisethat I’ll never hurt you. That’s part of being human; I’ll never be perfect. But I can promise that I’ll choose you every day. I’ll apologize when I’m wrong. I’ll support you and cherish you and love you like you deserve. You just have to let me.”
Kelsey tilts her head back. When she looks into my eyes, gone is the distance and heartbreak. Instead, her beautiful hazel eyes reflect something I only hoped I’d see: trust. She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine. It’s different than any kiss we’ve shared because it’s filled with a promise.
Of love.
Of hope.
Of a future.
Together.
I don’t even realize I’m crying until Kelsey pulls back. She wipes the tears from my cheeks.
When we’ve both caught our breath, I ask, “What convinced you to talk to me?”
“Your persistence, for one thing.” She laughs. “But how could I refuse when you went to the trouble of playing a Taylor song and holding up that sign just like the music video.” She sighs. “That’s every girl’s dream.”
“You can thank my brilliant sister for that idea.” I smile.
“I love her already.” She kisses my jaw, making me inhale sharply. “But not as much as I love you.”
I’m about to show her just how much I love her, when my front door opens and little feet crunch on the grass.
“Ms. Kelsey, you’re back!” Evie squeals, hugging both of our legs. “Please tell me you’re never leaving again.”
“I’m not, Evie girl.” Kelsey looks right at me, her smile filled with the same joy and certainty I feel in my heart. “I’m home.”
OneYearLater
“It’s time.” Tyler hugs me from behind, pressing a kiss to my neck. I lean into his touch, savoring the peace that floods through me at his nearness.
It’s hard to believe there was a time when I thought life would be better on my own, because now I can’t imagine going a single day without Tyler Reed. My boyfriend. My encourager. My best friend. My future fiancé. That one’s not really official yet, but I have a feeling it will be soon.
Life hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine over the last year, but I’ve come through all of life’s trials stronger with him by my side. Tyler and my besties encouraged me to see a therapist to talk through my childhood, which has helped me let go of the past and fully lean into my relationship with him. He then met my parents and helped me set clear boundaries with them, holding my hand through the whole thing. I never would’ve made it through all the red tape to open my dog rescue without him, either.
But for each hard thing we’ve been through together, there have been a dozen happy moments—new core memories I hope I’ll never forget. Like spending Christmas with Tyler, Evie, Tess, and Darla. Winston and Romeo—who I convinced Tyler to adopt from the local animal shelter—worked together to steal the turkey from the table. The meat looked really dry, so maybe they were doing us a favor. But it started a new tradition of ordering pizza for dinner and eating it in front of the fireplace while watching Christmas movies.
“You’ve got this, sis.” Tess runs over, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug. For someone as tiny as she is, Tess would be real competition for The Rock in an arm-wrestling contest.
She’s been one of the highlights of this past year. Ever since she returned from her work trip to Africa, we’ve been inseparable. I introduced her to my besties, and she fit right into our group like a puzzle piece we didn’t realize was missing. She also has helped me pull off some amazing pranks on Tyler, hence why we get along wonderfully.
“I know you’ll be busy today, but I just wanted to say I love you and you’re amazing.” She squeezes my arms. “I’ll see you Sunday for family dinner?”
