Page 73 of Don't Leave Me

“Dad said the house is done…” she trails off, unsure of what else to say.

“I know, he told me.”

“I don’t need to move right away,” she whispers.

“I think you should. This is your dream, baby.”

“Maybe my dream changed. Maybe I just want to live with you and I don’t care where we do that.” She stares up at me as moisture gathers in her eyes, making them a brighter blue than normal.

“You belong on Mulberry Lane, beautiful.”

“And where do you belong?” A tear slips down her cheek and I swear the pain in my chest is worse than I’ve ever felt before. I hate how she doesn’t know where my head is. I need to make this clear to her.

“Give me one second.”

I hurry into our room to grab something and I'm back, tugging her into my arms a few seconds later.

“Ask me again.” When her brows tug together, I clarify what I want. “Ask me where I belong.”

“Where do you belong?” At this point both cheeks are wet and the tears don’t seem to be stopping. She doesn’t care though, she’s happy to be raw with me. To be vulnerable because she trusts me not to hurt her.

“I belong right next to you,” I whisper as I lean in and press my lips against hers. I cup her cheeks and deepen our kiss. I could get lost in her, but I know I have something I need to do first.

I pull away from her and stare down into her beautiful eyes. A smile tugs on my lips as I think about how I could be staring into these eyes for the rest of my life. And peace settles over me again. This is the right move and the right time.

I slowly lower myself onto one knee and stare up at the love of my life. Sophia’s mouth opens and closes, but she can't find the words.

“Beautiful, I fell for you the second I laid eyes on you. I knew there was something special about you and I didn’t want to let you go. Ineverwant to let you go. I plan to hold onto you forever and help you get the life you’ve always dreamed of. Will you marry me, Soph?”

“Yes,” the single word comes out somewhere between a sob and a laugh.

“You’re ok with being Mrs. Pecker?” I smirk.

“As long as you’re my Mr. Pecker.”

“Always.” I stand to my full height and slip the ring I bought when we came home from Mulberry Lane onto her finger. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too. I think we should celebrate.”

I don’t wait for her to say more. Instead, I check to make sure the front door is locked, then I lift her into my arms and race towards the bedroom.

“I meant we should have dessert!” She giggles the entire way.

“Fine, I’ll grab whipped cream.”

“Pecker!” She giggles even harder. “Actually, yes, get the whipped cream. I’ve always dreamed of licking something sugary off of you.”

Chapter 33

Pecker

“Hello?” I answer the call, more than a little nervous about why Mason could be calling me.

“Hey, Peck. It’s Mason Bennett.”

“Hey. Please tell me there isn't someone else after Zoey and Sophia.”

“Nah, nothing like that.” His deep chuckle fills the line and makes me calm down a little bit. “Wes told me you’re moving to fairytale land.”

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