Page 190 of True Blue

Granted, it didn’t turn into anything, besides a nice friendship as Sebastian still texts here and there, less frequently since he said he found a lovely girl he’s been dating, but still…

Teddy didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t barrel over and pull him away from me.

He didn’t make a scene or drag me away or demand an explanation like my choices belonged to him. He let me make them, even when it hurt him. He let me heal however I needed to heal.

My chest squeezes.

Oh, Teddy…

Affection explodes in my chest and I leap forward in his arms again, him matching my energy immediately. I kiss him again and again, his lips being the only ones I want to kiss forever.

“Hey, Teddy,” I ask when I pull back to breathe.

He opens his eyes, his face dreamy.

“Hmm?”

“Remember when I said glacial?”

Teddy grins.

“Will you call me a liar if I disregard that?”

“No, Indie,” Teddy rumbles, kissing me again, “I’ll just call you mine. And I’m yours.”

36

TEDDY

FEBRUARY

“Repeat that for me?”

Straightening my spine, I look at Indie right in her beautiful blue eyes. She looks so pretty tonight, hair slightly curled from her hair appointment earlier, her makeup done in a way that highlights her skin and makes it shimmer.

I’m trying to keep my gaze on her face and not the mouthwatering sight of her on the bed, reclining on her elbows, in blue lingerie. My brief glance gave me a peek at the lacy panties that cover the place I’m dying to taste, the beautiful soft swell of her breasts, and the peek of hard pink nipples through the sheer fabric.

Focus, Teddy.

Indie and I have begun dating again, and it’s honestly like we’ve picked up where we left off without missing a beat. There is a noticeable difference to me, however.

When we used to go out, I would feel confident that people would check out Indie, feeling secure that she’s loyal to me, but there was an undercurrent of me not feeling good enough for her. I think that came from not being truly happy with myself in my own life.

Now, though, I’m the person I should have been all along.

Not feeling like half a person anymore, and just lucky that Indie deigns herself to date me. No, I’ve said it before, that therapy taught me that Indie deserves a whole person. That Indie doesn’t complete me; she adds more color to my life. Just as I do for her. When relationships aren’t balanced, resentment can build, causing problems if left unaddressed.

I feel like the Teddy my Nana and Pop would be proud of.

Because I’m proud of myself.

Last month, I started school.

That morning, Indie came over before work for breakfast. She even told me to stand in front of the fireplace like a kid on the first day of school as she took a picture. Then I pulled her toward me, and she took a picture of both of us, me kissing her cheek, her beaming at the camera.

Indie pressed a long kiss to my lips and told me, “I’m so proud of you. You’re going to do amazing. You deserve to be there. Just be yourself, and everyone will love you,” she smirked. “And if they don’t—fuck ‘em.”