Page 97 of Here's to Now

“How are we going to tellthem?How am I going to tellher?”

Thembeing our friends,herbeing Rae.

“Do you want to?” she whispers. “Like at all?”

She winces when my eyebrows slam together in instant anger. “Are we seriously fucking going there?Again?If you’re so ashamed of me, Haley, why marry me in the first place?”

Hurt rolls over her features and tears spring to her eyes. They fall before I can grasp what’s happening. Sobs wrack her small body, the bed shaking from how hard she’s crying.

I almost feel bad for my words, but the way her questions tear through my heart like a tornado leaves me not caring much about her tears. Asshole of me, yes. Wrong, no. I shouldn’t have to hide my feelings, especially if they’re honest. I shouldn’t have to tiptoe around something this huge, this life changing, and I for damn sure will not hide this relationship any longer, not like we did before. I am not ashamed of loving Haley. Hell, I’d shout it from the fucking rooftop of this high-rise hotel if we had access.

“Gaige…”

With that one simple word falling from her plump, pink lips, all my resolve fades. All my bravado flies right out the window.

“Sorry. That was harsh, but shit, Haley, I can’t hide this. I don’t want to. I’m not ashamed of what we did. If anything, I regret not having everyone there. I regrethowwe got married. You deserve so much more than a secret ceremony. You deserve an engagement. You deserve having it done therightway.” I wince. “I told you I’m the king of bad decision-making. This is just another example.”

“You think our marriage was a bad decision?”

“Fuck no! It was the best one I’ve ever made, but doing it behind our friends’ backs? Yeah, that was shitty. Not treating you like you deserve and showing the world how lucky I am to have the most amazing woman agree to marry me? Wrong.Sowrong.”

She cries harder. What the hell have I said now that’s upset her?

“What did I say?”

“Nothing. Everything.”

“You’re going to need to be a bit more specific, Hales.”

She grins. It’s small, but it’s there nonetheless. Odd how that such a small form of expression makes my heart race, how it makes this entire situation so much better.

“If I had wanted those things, I wouldn’t have married you. I would have insisted all that last night before you whispered in my ear.”

“All I said was three words.”

“And those three words were all it took.”

Grinning, I scoot closer, pulling her into my arms. I hover my lips over hers and say, “Should I say them again?”

“Say them forever?” Anticipating my kiss, her eyes fall shut.

“Do you mean that?” She tremors at the thick, groggy emotions in my voice.

She kisses me, rolling us over until she’s on top of me. Her lips coax mine apart as she takes charge with her tongue, creating a sweet, soft friction between us. She rocks her hips against mine and pulls away. “Yes.”

I tell her when I roll her back over, sliding between her legs and into her with little effort.

“I love you.”

I tell her when I rock my hips against hers, pushing myself in as deep as I can go until she’s shuddering in the best mix of pain and pleasure.

“I love you.”

I say it when I persuade moan after moan out of her, meeting each one with a thrust of my own.

“I love you.”

I whisper it to her in every kiss I lay across her lips, her cheeks, her neck.

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