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Chase brushes his fingers down my arm for support.
“One night, under the stars, he proposed to me, and I said yes. We made plans to have this beautiful life together. It was pretty cheesy, your typical two-point-five kids and white picket fence dream, but he made me happy.” I pause, taking a deep breath.
“He insisted we do it right. He wanted my father’s approval. He came over. Even dressed in some silly blazer to impress him. Asked my father for my hand, and he said no. He would not approve. He would not allow him to ruin my life. When in reality, he was completing mine.” I stop to wipe at the tears falling down my cheek. “He wouldn’t marry me without my father’s consent. I was so mad. I didn’t understand. But he refused to put that wall between me and my family. I got mad and took off his ring. Threw it at him and told him to leave. I wouldn’t hear anything else he had to say.” Chase grabs my hand and squeezes as I struggle to get through my story. “He left. I regretted it instantly and tried to call him, beg him to come back, but he never answered. That night, he was in a head on collision and died. The only reason he was on that road that night was because I made him leave.”
The dam breaks, and Chase wraps me in his arms and comforts me as I fall apart. “Shhh…it’s not your fault.”
“It is. If I hadn’t made him leave, he would still be alive.”
He pulls back, lifting my chin so his eyes meet mine. “Bridge, you don’t know that. Life is mysterious like that. There’s no rule book. I’m not a believer, nor do I worship a specific god, but I do believe everything happens for a reason. If it was Jax’s time, then you wouldn’t have been able to change that. Don’t blame yourself. You weren’t the one who hit him. You were hurting. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I’m so selfish. He just wanted to do the right thing.”
“No, Angel. You’re human.” He tucks my hair behind my ears. “You’re beautiful and thoughtful. You’re funny and kind of violent—which I find super hot.” A small chuckle escapes my lips while I sniffle. “But most of all, you’re giving. You love—and you love hard. Never in a million years would you wish for that to happen or cause it to. Life is ugly sometimes. And painful.”
God, it is. It’s terrifying.
“But sometimes…” he sits up, taking me with him, “it’s beautiful too. Sometimes it leads you to a bar where the most enchanting woman steals your heart the second you see her. And she ends up showing you it’s okay to be vulnerable. To love again. That you’re worth it.”
My mouth finds his. With the salt of my tears tingling on our lips, I pour every ounce of emotion into him. I need him to know how much his words mean. The way they mend the cracks in my heart. The way he heals me.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips.
“For what?” He grabs my ass, pulling me closer.
“For making me feel like it’s okay to let go. To love again without guilt.”
My back hits the plush bedding, and his mouth clashes over mine. “You’re so damn beautiful.” He kisses me hard. “You’ve changed my life. My entire world. Hell, I can’t even remember a life before you.”
I giggle under him. “Technically it wasn’t that long ago—”
He bites down on my bottom lip. “I wouldn’t know. You’re all I see. All I think about. All I want…” His lips mold to mine, kissing me with such intensity, it sends tingles down to my toes. “Tell me what I’ve got to do to make you mine. Tell me how to make you let go of your past so you can give me your future. Fuck…Bridget Matthews, I love you. Every single part of you. From your incredibly sexy body to your huge heart, to your beautiful soul.” I gasp at his confession. “I love the way I am with you, and God, I love these lips.” He kisses me harder. His mouth claiming my lips, his tongue dancing around mine.
He loves me. He just confessed that he loves me.
“Are you sure you want this?” I moan.
“I’ve never wanted anything more in my life.” He grinds his erection into me.
I can’t stop kissing him. Feeling him. Loving him. Gah! I love him. I pause for a beat, waiting for the panic to set in, the guilt, the rejection that forces me to throw him off me and run far away. But it never happens. My heart continues to beat hard and fast. This is okay. I can let go. I can allow myself to feel like I deserve this.
