Page 106 of More than Paper

“I love you, too.”

“I cry myself to sleep most of the time.”

My chest tightens. I brush my thumb on her cheek. “Why do you cry, doll?”

“Loving you hurts so bad.”

I had lots of drinks, and so has she, but her words pierce my heart.

“Why does loving me hurt, doll?”

Tears fill her blue eyes. “Because I want it all with you, but I can’t have it.”

“But we can have it all. Move to New York. I’ll prove it to you.”

“My mother says, ‘Never move in with a man unless you have a ring on your finger.’”

Is that what she needs? She needs a ring and then she’ll move?

“What would you want your ring to look like, doll?”

“I don’t care. I only want to be yours.”

“You are mine.”

“I don’t want to share you.”

“You don’t have to share me with anyone.”

“I have to share you with Valeria. And I want to hate her, but I don’t. I like her. What kind of person am I that I actually like your wife?”

I stroke her hair. “You’re an amazing person, that’s the kind of person you are.”

I’ve never loved or wanted to marry any woman I’ve dated. I have no doubts about Quinn. If I could marry her, I would.

“I want you as my wife, not Valeria.”

“You do?”

“Yes. And if you move to New York, it’ll be just like we’re married. I’ll share everything I have with you. Whatever you need from me, I’ll provide. You won’t go without anything. We can do whatever we want.”

“Whatever we want?” she says sleepily.

“Yes.”

She yawns.

I pull her into my arms. “You’re tired. Let’s go to sleep, doll.”

She snuggles into me. “Okay. Just don’t ever let me go.”

I kiss the top of her head. “You don’t have to worry about that, doll.”

* * *

When I wake up,Quinn is still in my arms. I pull her tighter to me, and she stirs.

“Morning, doll.”

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