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“He threatened to hurt you,” Reid said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. “And he threatened to hurt your family. I have the means to help, sweetheart, why wouldn’t I?”
I hiccupped through another sob, every emotion bubbling over until I could barely contain them.
“I’ve taken care of my family for so long,” I confessed, my throat raw. “I’ve never thought about having someone do the same for me. It’s so new, I don’t know how to process it all yet.”
Reid frowned down at me, her fingers drifting from my stomach up to my face. The tips of her fingers danced over my lips as I spoke, her eyes slightly unfocused.
I relished in the attention, so starved for the affection she happily offered me, just because it came from her hands. If I wanted, I could have fallen asleep under the softness of her fingers, the warmth of her legs tangled with mine better than any blanket I had.
“If you’d let me,” she said quietly, her eyes roving over my face, “I’d love to be the one who looks after you. I’d love to take care of you.”
My heart rose in my throat, making it hard to breathe for a moment. I could only stare at Reid, at the softness in her eyes as she watched me. I imagined what that might be like, to be taken care of by Reid. To wake up every day knowing she’d be there for me no matter what.
“I’d like that,” I whispered, not able to get much else past the lump in my throat.
Reid’s smile widened as she leaned forward to kiss me, her hand warm against the length of my throat. My eyes slipped closed and I was lost to her touch, lost to the hum in the back of her throat when our tongues met.
The rest of the word faded away until it was just us, as it always had been, floating between the stars and simply existing side by side. Except now, we existed together, our fingers laced to keep from drifting apart. The stars in my eyes scattered, effervescent, almost, and my tears eventually dried.
“Then I need to ask you something,” she said, pressing one final kiss to my lips before pulling away once more.
I blinked my eyes open slowly, her face coming into focus above me. God, the smile she wore could break and remake my heart a thousand times over.
“Anything,” I whispered, and realized how much I meant it. I realized just how much I was willing to do for the woman who had quite literally fought my demons andwon.
She hummed, her fingers playing in the waves of my hair around me. “I know we’re married on paper, but will you be my girlfriend?”
A startled bubble of laughter rose into my throat and suddenly, I was too shy to say anything.
“What?” She chuckled, her cheeks turning pink.
I watched the color spread to her ears and giggled again. “You’re nervous,” I said unhelpfully, and she rolled her eyes and flicked my nose gently.
“Sue me,” she said, “if asking someone as breathtaking as you to be my girlfriend makes me a little panicky. It’s not like you’re doing much better than I am right now.”
I buried my face in the palm of my hand, the feeling in my chest lighter than air. It made me stupidly giddy.
“Shut up.” I chuckled, my face burning. “You can’t just say shit like that to me. How am I supposed to react?”
“I just ate you out butthisis what gets you all shy?” She laughed, trying to pry my hand away from my face.
“I could say the same thing to you!”
“But that’s not what I want you to say,” she murmured.
I peeked through my fingers to find her face close to mine, her eyes dark. “What do you want me to say?”
“I asked you a question, love,” she reminded me, and that airy feeling in my stomach ruffled its feathers in response. “Did you forget?”
I found that I quite enjoyed having Reid give me attention like this.
“It seems to have slipped my mind,” I teased, threading my fingers through hers and kissing the back of her hand. “Would you remind me?”
Her smile widened impossibly and she hid her face in my hair for a beat, her laughter rolling through both of us. She took a breath and pulled away again, just inches from my face.
“Will you be my girlfriend?” she repeated, and my stomach clenched exactly the same way it had the first time she’d asked. “Please?”
“How can I refuse when you ask so nicely?” I ragged playfully, and she groaned.
