Page 29 of Loaded Laces

West’s fingers tighten slightly, confusion rippling across his face. “No, baby.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

“So,” he says, cupping my jaw, “if the kid’s good, want to tell me why you looked so panicked a few seconds ago?”

I open my mouth, but that whirlwind of thoughts takes over again and my throat closes up, my words stuck inside my head.

You love him.

That voice comes loudest of all, quieting down the others.

And it letsmyvoice come.

“I love you!” I blurt.

His fingers flex again and his eyes go wide, and then he opens his mouth.

But now that my words have come, they don’t stop.

“And I know you saw the papers,” I say, “but I didn’t intend to leave without talking to you—or leave at all, really. Even if you want Quinn and I to get our own place, which is totally fine, of course?—”

“Baby—”

“But if you want us to stay, I want to stay and I know Quinn does too, even though it’s fast and a little bit crazy. But I love you and I love what we’re building and I wasn’t going to just disappear or force you away from us, I swear I wasn’t?—”

“Bella bee?—”

“My boss was pissed when he found out I hadn’t told him I was struggling and he all but shoved the papers into my hands, after paying the rest of Quinn’s medical bills. But I swear I wasn’t going to do anything without talking to you and Quinn both. And that’s not even touching the fact that my boss paid off my bills or that he’s grumpy and taciturn and…apparently, a teddy bear who cares about meandQuinn. And?—”

West slides his thumb over, presses it lightly to my blathering lips, stopping the flood of words.

“I knew you weren’t just going to go without a word, baby.”

I blink. “How?” I ask against that finger, the question slightly smothered.

“Because I knowyou.” His mouth kicks up. “And also because I wasn’t going to let you go.”

All the air in my lungs rushes out, something that’s made easier because his thumb is moving again, trailing lightly over my cheek.

“You weren’t?”

Now his mouth flattens out, his eyes holding mine, the fierceness in his gaze stealing my breath again. “No, baby. Because I love you too. Because I’ve known what my life is like without you, and now that I’ve gotten you back—gotten the bonus of having Quinn in my life for a short time—there’s no fucking way I’m letting either of you go.”

“You love me?”

He chuckles softly. “Truthfully, I don’t think I ever stopped.”

I inhale sharply, and he rests his forehead against mine.

“I get if you need time to be on your own,” he says. “But do it while I’m on the road, do it while we’re building our new us, and if you absolutely need to live on your own?—”

“I don’t,” I blurt, cupping the side of his neck, keeping him close. “I’ve spent long enough alone,” I tell him. “I’m ready to be here with you.”

God, his eyes.

They’re so fucking beautiful.

But I only get them for a moment because then he’s scooping me up into his arms, marching through the kitchen, and heading straight for the stairs.

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