A shaky breath slips out of me. “Like is a very weak word for what I feel for you.”
She turns toward me, her brows drawing together in confusion as she studies my face.
“What?”
The surprise in her voice is real, and for the life of me, I can't understand it.
My heart is pounding hard enough that I’m sure she must be able to hear it, each beat knocking against my ribs like it's trying to escape. There's no panic or sudden urge to pull the words back or pretend I didn't mean them.
There's only certainty.
This feeling has been growing inside me for longer than I realised. It was quiet at first, and it only grew with every laugh, every kiss, every argument, and every moment she looked at me like I was someone worth choosing.
Now it's everywhere.
In my bones.
In my blood.
In my heart.
In the way, my entire world seems to tilt toward her without even trying.
Like gravity itself decided she's where I belong.
A soft smile finds its way onto my face as I reach up and brush a loose strand of her hair away from her cheek, tucking it gently behind her ear before the wind steals it again.
For a moment, I just look at her.
Really look.
This woman has completely ruined me for anyone else.
The words finally leave me quietly, but with more truth than anything I've ever said.
“I love you, Willow.”
Fuck I do love her.
I think I have been for a while now.
Her lips part slightly, like she's about to argue with me and for a second, I brace for it.
I expect her to laugh it off or tell me I’m being ridiculous. That there's no way I could feel something this big for her.
She doesn’t pull away; instead, she leans closer to me. My hand remains against her cheek, and she tilts her face slightly, pressing deeper into my palm. Her hand slowly rises, gliding up my chest until it rests right over the organ that only beats for her now.
“I love you too.”
A grin breaks across my face before I can even try to hide it.
It's probably the cheesiest damn smile I've ever worn in my life, but I don't care.
Not when those three words are still echoing in my mind. I pull her into my arms without a second thought and lift her off the ground. The rush of happiness that floods through me is almost overwhelming. My mouth finds hers as I spin us in a loose circle, making the world tilt and blur around us.
She laughs against my lips—soft, bright, completely unrestrained—and the sound sends something warm fluttering straight through my chest.
I love that laugh.
