Page 131 of Fear of Falling

“And I promise she will never feel unloved when I’m by her side.”

There were no words to describe how much I loved him. The man who made me feel like I was worth something. That I wasn’t just some broken, used girl, who didn’t deserve love.

I hoped he could see the love in my eyes as he talked to my dad, that he could see how much his actions meant to me. We stayed there a little longer before we felt the first warning drops of rain. I placed a kiss on my dad’s headstone and said a soft goodbye.

“I’ll be back soon, Dad. I promise.”

Walking away from my dad, I felt a million times lighter than when I first stepped foot in the cemetery. For the first time since he passed, I felt…okay. I knew Dad watched over me and I knew he would approve of Wyatt. That alone eased the guilt that had built inside of me.

Wyatt and I only made it around the corner before the skies above us opened up, and we were caught in the torrential rain. Wyatt tried to make a run for it, my hand clasped in his, but I found my feet stuck to the ground.

“Hold on.”

Turning, he looked down at me with those gorgeous blue eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Despite the rain and the fact, we stood in a cemetery, a smile spread across my face; the rain pelting down, making our clothes stick to our skin.

Staring up at Wyatt, I knew without a doubt, without hesitation, that Wyatt was my forever. He was the person I’d searched for my whole life. The day we got stuck in the elevator was the day my life became complete.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too…uh, this couldn’t wait until we got in the car?” Wyatt looked at me with a mix of amusement and concern.

“Yeah, but I wanted to tell you now.” I tugged my hand out of his and took a step closer. Bringing my hands up to his shoulders, I tangled my fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

“You, Wyatt Boone, are the most perfect man.”

“Hmm, I don’t know about that.” His hands came down to my hips, softly squeezing, the rain forgotten.

“Yes, you are.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “You are my everything, Wyatt Boone. I hope you know that.”

“I meant every word I said back there. One day I’ll ask you to marry me, Josie Scott, because you are my everything too.”

I pulled him down and pressed my lips to his. Before I met Wyatt, I’d feared I wouldn’t find love. Afraid of giving myself to someone completely. That they would see the real me and my baggage and run the other way. But I knew that no matter what, Wyatt would catch me, and that maybe it wasn’t so scary falling.

So, as I kissed Wyatt in the pouring rain, I realized I no longer had the fear of falling.

44

JOSIE

“Ithink I’m going to be sick.”

“It’s okay, there’s still time.”

“Bro, she’s going to break my hand.”

I heard all of their voices, but I was too focused on what was happening on the ice to care. I felt Mateo trying to pull his hand from mine, but I latched on even harder.

“Josie, ease up a little,” he groaned. I briefly took my eyes away from the ice and smiled sheepishly at Mateo, letting go of his hand.

“Sorry.”

“Geez woman, are you secretly the hulk?” he said as he shook his hand out and flexed it.

“Hey, I warned you about sitting next to me.” On the other side of me Mila snickered.

“Gotta toughen up there little, bro.” Behind us Landon slapped his brother's shoulder and Mateo glared at him over his shoulder. If I wasn’t so stressed about the game, I would have laughed at their bickering, Evelyn just shook her head and leaned forward to talk to Mila. I felt bad that Tasha and Lydia weren’t here, but the two had to work and couldn’t make the flight over.

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