Page 22 of Sniper

I shudder in revolution, hating that the memories still haunt me, hating he still haunts me.

“Fuck!” Autumn says loudly, bringing me back to now. My eyes widen, and Theo’s head snaps her way.

“No, Autumn,” he says sternly, and she grins, saying, “Fuck,” again, making his eyes widen further, and he stresses, “No, Autumn, bad word….” He looks my way in horror as she keeps repeating him. “Fuck, Autumn—I mean no, crap….”

I bite my bottom lip as she copies, “Crap,” and he looks like a deer in headlights.

My laughter bubbles over, and she repeats the words over and over happily, all while he looks like he wants the floor to swallow him whole.

Theo’s mouth drops open, and he snaps, “Rory, it’s not fucking funny, we need to get her to stop?—”

“Fucking,” she repeats, and I fall over, dying of laughter as Theo groans, “Goddammit,” but soon regrets it when she repeats him.

My laughter gets louder, my stomach hurts, and tears spring to my eyes. I know I should help him, but he keeps digging himself into a deeper hole.

I warned him she’d copy him, but he didn’t believe me. She admires him, even loves him.

“Alright, you laughing hyena,” Theo huffs, making me laugh louder. He sighs, shaking his head. “I’m going to get little miss dressed.”

Without another word, he carries Autumn to her bedroom, cursing to himself, making me laugh louder again. making it difficult for me to breathe, but it doesn’t stop my heart from skipping a beat at how amazing he is.

One month into dating, he’s getting her dressed.

This man seems too good to be true.

Two hours later, we’re strolling through town, his arm around my waist, Autumn sitting on his shoulders, playing with his hair.

I feel content, a feeling I haven’t felt since before….

After he got Autumn dressed, he spent twenty minutes chasing me around the living room before he tickled me until I couldn’t breathe from laughing at his mistake, all while Autumn giggled and tried to get involved.

God, he owns my heart.

He makes me happy, makes me want a future with him, but I don’t know how to get the feeling of uncleanness out of my system. I spent a year being abused and used, and I’m scared that, if I allow him to touch me, then I’ll taint him as well.

I’d spread my dirt on him, my filth….

I still can’t understand why he wants me, even after a month of doting on me and my daughter. I’ve seen the women in town when we’re together; their eyes eat him up, and a part of me wants to scream and shout at them, tell them he’s mine. But then the other part thinks he’d probably be happier with one of them—my insecurities and past taking over.

I’ve been speaking to my counselor to get everything off my chest to ensure I don’t push this amazing man away. She’s encouraged me to open up to him, but I’m just not ready yet.

What if he’s disgusted by me?

What if he wants nothing to do with Autumn?

Theo squeezes me to him and rasps, “Talk to me, my Firecracker. What’s on your mind?”

I look up at him and smile. He’s at least a foot taller than me, but instead of feeling towered over, I feel safe—at home.

Another woman walks past, her eyes eating him up, and I snort. “I was wondering why you’re with me when you could have your pick of women….”

I smirk as he looks at a woman who is biting her lip, furrowing his brows. He shakes his head, looking away, not at all interested, causing her to huff and stomp away as we continue walking.

“Because you make my heart skip a beat,” he admits, his thumb rubbing over my hip. I suck in a breath. “Because as soon as I locked eyes with you, I knew you were my forever.” He stops us, pulling my body close to him as Autumn leans her cheek on his head, tired after time at the play barn. “Because your little girl has wormed her way into my heart, making me want to be her father.” My eyes tear up, my heart pounding. “Because when I’m not with you, I feel like I can’t breathe; because you surround me, and because I am falling madly in love with you…. That’s why am with you, Rory. You have become everything to me, you and Autumn. You’ve made me a better man, a man I’m proud of who I’m becoming. You’ve made me want the whole picture-perfect life, with the white picket fence, and dozens of kids….”

I chuckle on a sob, then rise to my tiptoes, gently caressing his lips with mine, making him smile. I whisper, “If you think I’m pushing a dozen kids out, you have another think coming.”

He grins and negotiates, “Three, you know, for Autumn to boss around.”

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