Page 46 of When Hairy Met Stella

Tears filled her eyes again. “I love it. I love you.”

A smile cracked through his nervousness as he relaxed his arms at his sides. “I was hoping this would be a gesture that showed my feelings.”

“You already told me you loved me. I believed you.”

He shook his head as he stalked closer, and if he wanted to can this whole conversation in favor of kissing, she wasn’t going to stop him. “That’s not what this is about. From the moment you accidentally showed me your plan, I wanted to do this for you. You deserve this. You deserve the support of people who care about you and want you to succeed.”

“But…the chandelier was the one thing I hadn’t ordered.” She looked up at the glistening light that shone on them. “In fact, it was supposed to take a few weeks for the order to come in.”

“Which is why I’m glad I ordered it the night you punched me in the face.”

“You what?”

He shrugged. “I may have just recently fallen for you, but I’ve always believed in you, Stella. You never had to prove anything to me. Not at the salon. Not last night.”

“So, you’re saying you believed in me before I believed in myself.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I’m saying I believed in you before you were ready to believe in yourself out loud.”

“Figures. The one time I couldn’t say something out loud.”

“Hey, I wasn’t going to say that.”

She chuckled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His finger brushed her cheek, and the heat of his simple touch spread throughout her body. “This was never about wooing you or making you fall in love with me. Because when I started this, that wasn’t what I wanted. But now…”

“Now what?” She thought she knew the answer, but she realized she needed to hear it.

“But now, it’s everything.You’reeverything. And if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life showing up for you in all the ways you need me to.”

“And I’ll show up for you, even on nights you think you’re a monster.”

“About that,” he began, rubbing the scruff on his chin, a full smile stretching across his face. The biggest one she’d ever seen from him. “You really do love me.”

“I told you as much. You didn’t believe me?”

“I did. It was just that you were willing to sit with me last night, despite all my warnings, even though there was a chance you could end up hurt or worse?—”

“I told you that you’d never hurt me.”

“Thatwas when I knew. When you showed up for me. Well, that and the fact that I didn’t shift last night.”

“Because it was too cloudy?”

“Because you’re too head over heels about me.”

“That is true,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Hold on a sec. You didn’t shift?!”

He chuckled, and she felt the rumble of his chest around hers. “I was wondering when that part would set in.”

“What does this mean?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s definitely a good sign. But I’m not sure. There are still triggers that make a werewolf vulnerable, so that might be true for me. I’ll just have to wait and see.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head.

“No?” he asked, and she felt the drop in his shoulders immediately.

“We’llhave to wait and see.”

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