Page 76 of Shattered Dreams

“Aw, hell. I’m a dick.” He kissed my head. “Jo, nothing. And I mean that. Nothing I shared or will share with you would ruin my life. Nothing.” I feel his tears hitting my hair and when I looked into his eyes, I saw the pain he felt. The pain matched mine. “I’m sorry I failed you. I didn’t know, and that you faced that alone.”

“Don’t.” I choked back another sob. “Why are you being so fucking nice?”

His hands grabbed my head, forcing me to look back into his eyes. “Jolynn Rose. Ten years ago, I was a punk kid who didn’t know shit. Right here. Right now, I’m a man. I fucked up saying something to make you think you couldn’t tell me.”

“Richie, I should’ve told you. I wish I had never left. I wish so much was different.” I broke down sobbing with him.

He doesn’t hate me. And he doesn’t blame me.

“Damn it.” His arms were the lifesavers I had been missing. “I have no fucking clue what to do with a man who isn’t yelling at me.”

“Baby, we’re gonna fight sometimes, but I’ll never hurt you the way he did.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Me too.” He pressed a kiss to my head. “But this is what we have.” He brushed my hair from my face. “Honey, we have a chance now. And who knows? Without that fuckwad, you wouldn’t have the five amazing kids you do.”

“I love you. I never stopped.” The words tumble from my lips.

He brushed my tears away with his thumbs and looked me in the eye. “I never stopped loving you, either. It’s always been you, Jo.”

When he kissed me, I felt it in my toes, and I felt horrible because I could feel the snot dripping from my nose. I pulled back and wiped my nose on my sleeve again. “Ugh, I hate when the boys do this and here I am.”

“Snot or not. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

There, with the cool of the night and the warmth of the fire, we made out like teenagers catching up on the time we’ve missed.

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