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I settle my hand on my chest and inhale a deep breath. Shock ripples through my body as I run what I said back through my mind.
Benny’s eyes bore into mine—deep and edged with an unreadable emotion.
That’s Benny.
Unreadable.
He tells you what he wants you to know.
And I guess I tell him that I love him.
How can I love someone I haven’t been with long?
That I don’t have yearslong history with?
I’ve always scoffed at insta-love.
Even in a short time, we’ve gone through so much together.
We had a rocky start, but maybe those rocks built the foundation to our friendship … to our love.
I’m stricken with fear when I think about it though. I don’t know if Benny loves me back—or if he ever will. I don’t want to be the girl in love with a man who doesn’t love her back.
I slam my eyes shut at the silence.
“I meant—” I shake my head.
“Don’t take it back.” Benny’s voice rumbles over mine. “Don’t take those words back just because you’re scared.”
“I am scared,” I whisper.
“Look at me.”
When I open my eyes, he’s standing at the edge of the bed.
His stare is as intense as it was that day in the billiards room. “Don’t be scared of me, Neomi.”
I blink away tears.
Just like I said I’d never love him.
Never beg him.
Over and over, I’ve ripped apart each barrier I used to protect my heart from this man.
“I’m not scaredof you,” I cry out. “I’m scared of a broken heart.” I drag my knees to my chest. “You made it clear from the very start that we’d never have a normal marriage. That love would never come from you. Before I walked down the aisle, we’d done nothing but try to make the other suffer for a contractour parentshad created, one we had no control over.”
Bruiser curls up against a pillow as Benny joins us on the bed.
Benny’s eye contact is unwavering, and I can’t look away from him even if I tried. He drags me across the bed and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his shoulder.
He cups my knee and looks down at me. “I’ll admit, I made poor choices then. But since we married, I haven’t touched another woman. Nor will I ever. You’re all I need. Before we got married, I told you love would never be in the cards for us.”
I nod, unable to speak.
He tugs at my arm, silently requesting help while dragging me onto his lap. Our faces are only inches apart.
“But I didn’t even have to look for love. It came to me in the form ofyou. Someone who steamrolled over all the aversions I had of love.” His touch is tender as he cradles my face in his palms, as if I’m something he’s terrified of breaking. “I didn’t go looking for love. You brought it to me, baby.”
