Page 81 of Burden to Bear

“The day we watched your favorite movies, and I carried you to your bed,” he revealed. “The movie had ended, and I looked over at you asleep on the couch, and I felt like Harry.”

I froze, my body going rigid. “You felt like Harry?”

Brock’s hand floated away from my shoulder and down along my back. I could see the way his mind was working, and I wondered if he was trying to figure out how to explain what he meant by what he said, or if he was giving me time to prepare for it.

Eventually, he said, “I’d had a lot of thoughts leading up to that point about how you were the woman of my dreams or how attracted I was to you. But it was after seeing that movie and hearing that line from Harry when it hit me. I looked over at you asleep on the couch, and all I could think was that I wanted the rest of my life to start immediately, because I’d met the woman I wanted to spend my life with.”

Brock’s hesitation before sharing this finally made sense. He’d been attempting to give me the time to prepare for what he was about to admit. Sadly, he could have given me warning that it was going to be huge and waited another hour before sharing, and I still wouldn’t have been prepared for what hearing him say those words meant to me.

Tears filled my eyes, and it was only by some miracle I didn’t burst into full-fledged sobs.

This felt so surreal. It felt impossible to believe.

Brock was making me believe that despite what had happened in my life, I could still have everything I ever wanted.

“Please don’t cry,” he begged, his voice hushed.

I blinked my eyes rapidly, doing my best to stave off the tears. “I’m trying not to, but I can’t help it. I never expected I’d ever have this, especially not with you.”

“Well, you do, so just be happy about it. I am. I couldn’t be happier if I tried.”

“I am happy,” I promised.

Brock felt compelled to kiss me again. Only, this time, he went for my mouth. After a few seconds of having his lips on mine, all thoughts of tears flew out the window. Of course, when he tore his mouth away, he said, “I love you, Mia.”

I was almost sent spiraling again, but I quickly replied instead. “I love you, too.”

“When did you know?”

“Pardon?”

“Was it gradual for you, or was there a specific moment?” he asked, clarifying his question.

He wanted to know when I knew that I loved him. “It’s the same for me as it was for you. I’ve been experiencing thoughts and feelings over you for months now, but it honestly didn’t hit me until tonight. Until I saw you standing in the doorway with that look on your face.”

“What look?”

I reached my hand up to the side of his face and stroked my thumb along his cheek. “The one that told me you were in agony at the thought of losing me, like your whole world had stopped spinning. All I could think was that I was crazy for wanting to run to you in that moment, but I realized that everything I’d experienced with you was precisely what led me to falling for you. You showed me what love was supposed to feel like. So, I think I’ve been in love with you for a while, but it wasn’t until that moment when it hit me.”

“Kiss me, Mia.”

Smiling, I lifted my head from the pillow and touched my mouth to his. Brock and I kissed for a long time, neither one of us seeming willing to separate.

But eventually, Brock was the one to break the connection. “You didn’t get your ice cream.”

I laughed. “No, no, I did not. But I think I got something even better.”

“Do you still want it?”

“What?”

Brock inhaled deeply and released that breath before he said, “I’ll do whatever you like tonight, but after all of this, I’d love nothing more than to spend the night with you and wake up tomorrow with you in my arms. If you’re okay with that, I’ll run downstairs, lock up the house, and grab you some ice cream before I come back up. It won’t be the same as having it on the deck, but at least we can still enjoy it together.”

My heart exploded in my chest.

Brock wanted to spend the night with me, so he could wake up with me in his arms. Was he for real?

“It won’t be the same as I imagined, Brock. Your plan is arguably better.”

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