Page 118 of Always Been Yours

“I only keep the promises that matter.”

I had to bite my lip to fight back the apology. It took everything in me not to let the instant remorse bring me to my knees.

All of the most important promises I had ever made, and broken, were to the girl sitting in front of me.

”Ihateyou.”

Vivi doesn’t say anything to me for a while after the recap of that night and I really don’t have anything to say either. It wasn’t one of our best moments by far.

“Wow, Grady…” I prepare for her to lash out at me for the horrible things I said.I deserve it.“That… I’m so sorry.” She turns toward me and places her hands on my chest. “You need to know I didn’t meanany of that.”

Tying her braid at the end, I slip off the stool and kneel next to her. “I know that Viv. I didn’t mean anything I said either, but it’s eaten me alive for years.” Her eyes start to well with tears. “Baby…” I say quietly. The green in her eyes is brighter than usual—her tears bringing out the mossy color. It’s my favorite shade of green but I hate that it means she’s upset in order for me to see it. “You have no idea how much I wish I could go back and take away all of the hurt that people caused you. And not just what I did but that’s definitely at the top of my list. And it’s not because I pity you, Genevieve.” I gently place both hands on either side of her face. “It’s becauseI love you.I love you so much that the idea of anyone causing you pain, even myself, makes me irrationally angry. I love you so much that I wish I could just wrap you up and keep you in my bed forever, never having to share you again. But I love you so much that I know you deserve to shine for the entire world, and I don’t want to take that away from you.”

Her bottom lip trembles and I’m about to tell her that she doesn’t have to say it back. I didn’t say it with any expectations. I said it because it has been sitting on my tongue my entire life, but it’s been harder to hide the last couple months. Right as I open my mouth, she whispers the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard.

“I love you, too, Grady. I’ve loved you my entire life and I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to. I love you so much it hurts sometimes.”

I lean forward, planting my mouth on hers. Her wet hands lay over mine, still cradling her head. I swipe my tongue along her lips, asking for entrance, for more. She opens for me at the same time I feel another of her tears roll down her cheek. I pull back, resting my forehead on hers, as I swipe the lingering tears with my thumb. “I’m going to spend my entire lifemaking sure you never hurt again.” I place a soft kiss on her nose. “Let’s get ready for bed, love.”

Chapter Forty-One

Vivi

As soon as I stand from the tub, Grady’s right in front of me with a towel. I go to grab it from him but instead he wraps it around me with such gentleness and adoration that it makes my eyes burn again.

Grady loves me.

Three simple words that mean more to me than he’ll ever understand. Three little words that I feel like I’ve been waiting my entire life to hear from him and they’re sweeter than I could have ever imagined. And trust me, I imagined it so many times it’s embarrassing.

Grady tucks the towel in around my breasts to hold it up and grabs another from the cabinet. He slowly pulls me toward the counter, turning me around so my butt is leaning against the edge. With the spare towel, he starts to dry off my arms and shoulders. When he’s done with the top half, he kneels down and wipes off the droplets from my legs. The entire time, I watch him in silence.

Grady on his knees before me is a sight to see no matter what he’s doing, but the affection and love radiating off of him is overwhelming in the best way. This simple gesture is the mostworshiped my body has ever felt outside of sex with him.

I’ve let that broken memory play through my head for years, trying to remember why Grady and I went for blood the night of the vow renewal. I knew that it started with me—there wasn’t a doubt in my mind about that. I was drunk and still reeling from the fallout freshman year and scared to see him for the first time in almost three years. I never allowed myself to believe that Grady truly cared about me, definitely not anywhere near as much as I care about him.

But now? As I watch him taking the time to wipe off each individual droplet before he grabs the vanilla lotion from his cabinet, I don’t question it at all. For the first time in my entire life, I have no doubts that the man in front of me loves me as much as I love him.

Grady pushes down on the pump a few times before placing my hands on his shoulders and rubbing the lotions into my skin. It smells exactly like the vanilla perfume I use. When he finishes with my arms, he drops back down to his knees. Lifting my left leg to his shoulder, he continues to process before gently setting me back on the floor and grabbing for my right leg.

When he stands up, his eyes drop to the towel tied around me. His hand slowly reaches toward the knot around my breasts, and when I don’t make a complaint, he tugs on the towel. We both watch it fall to the floor then I watch Grady’s eyes eat up every inch of me. He puts more lotion in his hands and warms it before lathering the rest of my body, starting with my tummy and chest. Part of me thinks it should be awkward, but it isn’t. Not even for a second. It’s another one of those moments that feel so fucking intimate I almost can’t believe that this is my life now.

He’s standing behind me, but we make eye contact through the mirror. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, Viv.” His voice is low and husky.There is heat in his eyes, and he’s standing so close I can feel his growing hardness. But it’s the unconditional devotion I see in his gaze that almost sends me to my knees.

I turn around, pulling him closer by his hips. “So are you,” I whisper with a small, teasing smile. He huffs out a laugh and brushes my braid over my shoulder.

“Thanks, baby,” he murmurs against my lips. That pulls a happy grin across my face. Grady lets out a sigh of relief. “You have no idea how much peace seeing your smile has brought me today.”

I place a soft kiss on his jaw in response. “I need you,” my hands tighten, pulling him even closer despite the fact that his body is already flush against mine.

He runs his hands up my back, one of them gripping onto the nape of my neck. “You have me. I’m yours.”

“Show me you’re mine.”

Tilting my head back, he lets out a low groan as I slip onto the counter and open my legs so he can step between them. His free hand goes to one of my thighs, tickling my skin in the most delicious and agonizing way.Finally,Grady drops his lips to mine. It doesn’t matter how many times I kiss him, or how chaste it is sometimes. Each kiss never fails to release a million butterflies in my stomach.

Thankfully he doesn’t tease me with a soft kiss for too long. Within a couple of seconds, he’s nipping at my bottom lip—his possessive and demanding way of asking for me to open for him.

My tongue slips into his mouth but we both know that this is his show to direct. His fingers lightly trail up to the apex of my thighs, right where I’m soaked and warm and so fucking needy for him. His featherlight touch across my slit is more tortuous than it is relieving. My hips buck in response, looking for more pressure but the only thing that comes from that is him pulling his hand backto my thigh and a frustrated whimper from me.

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