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Madison: You keep doing that with him.

Amber: I’m emotionally distracted.

Maya: Are you taking it?

Me: If they accept the changes.

Chloe: Do you want to?

Me: Yes.

Emily: Then I’m excited for you.

I smile. Christopher looks over. “Book club?”

“Yep.”

“Council approve?”

“Strongly.”

“You’re not worried I’ll become too successful and leave you behind?”

Christopher’s expression turns serious immediately. “No.”

“Not even a little?”

“No.”

“Why?”

He takes my chin gently between his fingers. “Because I don’t need you smaller to keep you.”

My breath catches. Oh. Damn.

There are moments when Christopher is almost painfully romantic without having any idea he’s doing it. This is one.

“You know,” I whisper, “for a grumpy man, you say some devastating shit.”

“Language.” His thumb brushes my cheek. “I want all of you. The gamer.” He lands a kiss to my forehead. “The pilot.” Another. “The woman who walks into doorframes while texting.”

“Unnecessary.”

“The little girl who needs reassurance sometimes.”

My eyes sting.

“And the pain in the ass who thinks every closed door is worth testing.”

I laugh. “So romantic.”

“I’m not finished.”

I go quiet. Christopher looks directly into my eyes. “I want the version of you that gets bigger.”

My throat closes.

“Not smaller.” He kisses me, and the kiss is anything but small.