Page 63 of Forever Fallen

A shell.

He had never realized what it was like to fall in love, nor how you saw that person’s soul, not their body, until tonight.

Tonight, he saw Sophie’s incredible soul.

Ryan wept.

He was brought to tears when he saw her own tears of joy and felt like such an emotional fool – only to have her hold him, kiss him, and cry with him as they made love.

The intensity he felt for her was too much and the tears were uncontrollable. Only his beloved Sophie had ever seen such a gentle and sensitive side to him – and he knew no one else ever would.

She had broken past every barrier he had to worm her way right into his heart forever.

Staring at her relaxed profile, he realized he’d done so many things in a rush carelessly that he wanted to correct… starting first with their wedding rings. He wanted to marry her again, and to put his mark on the only woman he would ever love.

Reaching over to where her hand lay on the pillow, he delicately traced her ring finger, imagining what it would be like to slip a wedding band on there when they weren’t rushed or pressed for time.

He wanted to be able to marry his Sophie because hewantedto… not because it was a quick bargain that they would dissolve to get each other out of a mess.

A part of him wondered if Glory would have possibly introduced him to Sophie – or if he would have fallen so hard for her if they had met differently?

Maybe?

Yes?

Part of the magic was getting to know all these incredible facets – and letting her get to know him. Instead of getting mad, she was a tactician, planning on getting even. If she wanted time alone, she retreated… and he found her.

He really appreciated the fact that they talked about things, feelings, and even started to touch on emotions and how they felt, knowing this was bigger than the both of them and not something they could hide from each other anymore.

“I love you…” he breathed softly in the darkness – and heard her steady breath change perceptibly.

“I love you, too…” she whispered, smiling softly without opening her eyes as she lay there. “Go to sleep and quit tickling my hand, Ryan, or I’ll get you back.”

He smiled.

“You’re snoring,” he taunted.

“No,” she countered, not batting an eye. “You woke yourself up snoring, so don’t blame it on me,Pinocchio.”

“I don’t have a big nose.”

“No, you don’t,” she smiled tenderly… opening her eyes and looking at him. “But youweresnoring.”

As he lay there beside her, looking at her where her head rested on the pillow, he felt that overwhelming love growing within him, expanding exponentially.

“I love you…” he breathed openly. “I could lay here for hours and watch you sleep, just knowing you are in this world with me.”

“Oh Ryan…” she whispered, reaching over to touch his face tenderly. “I love you and words just don’t seem to be enough to say what this is that I am feeling.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Justplease…” she urged, her voice thick with emotion. “Don’t break my heart in the next two weeks. It’s going to be hard enough to say goodbye. Okay? Let me live in this fantasy and dream for a while… and if you need to…”

“I won’t,” Ryan interrupted, unwilling to let her finish. “I want this dream too… and I’m coming home when I can.”

“Let this next two weeks be a chance for us to live, laugh, and love together… and ignore the fact that you are having to leave,” she begged softly. “I don’t want to think about it. I just want to focus on the ‘now’ while you are here.”

“I love that idea,” he urged tenderly. “For the next two weeks there’s no you or me… it’s just us. We’ll be a normal couple and spend each moment getting to know each other better, living in the now. I want to wake up next to you, kiss you goodnight, and hold you close in these stolen moments, before the rest of the world intrudes.”

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