Page 210 of Papa's Bébé
Okay, he wasn’t in the mood to be teased. She got it. It was just that she was so freaking nervous.
“I’m not always good with words.”
“Believe me, I know.” His gaze warmed. “That’s why I gave you the words, only for you to give me cheek back. Tell me.”
“I love you. I don’t know how it happened so quickly, all I know is that you’re the person I wake up thinking about and go to sleep dreaming about. You’re who I want, Matthieu. But I’m so scared.”
“Why are you scared, Spitfire? Do you not know that I will take care of you?”
“I’m not scared of something happening to me. I’m scared that I’ll do something to mess this all up and then I’ll lose you.” And she couldn’t lose him. But everyone walked away from her at some point. It was hard to believe that he wouldn’t.
This is Matthieu.
He always does what he says.
“That’s not going to happen.”
She let out a scoffing noise. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I manage to ruin everything.”
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Matthieu made a low, dark noise that actually had her straightening in shock. She had not expected that from him. “That is your stepmother talking.”
Was it?
But she did ruin stuff, right? That’s why she couldn’t hold down a job or a relationship . . .
Only, that wasn’t entirely true, was it?
The reasons she’d lost jobs weren’t usually down to her. Sure, she’d never had a long-term relationship. That was hard when you pushed away everyone that could care about you. However, most of that was due to her issues around her mom’s death and the way her father had turned his back on her.
Could she learn not to ruin everything good in her life?
“She told you that you don’t deserve good, but that’s all fucking lies. You cannot let her run your life. You have to break free of the cycle, Bébé. I’m going to help you do that. By showing you that you are lovable. That you are worth everything good that comes your way. And that I will not leave you. At least not without a fight.”
Nothing was guaranteed.
He knew that as well as she did. One of them could die tomorrow.
And I would rather have a week of happiness with you than a lifetime without you.
All she had to do was be a bit brave.
All she had to do was believe in him and then maybe the belief in herself would come.
“I don’t want to ruin us,” she whispered.
“You could never ruin us,” he told her. “I know her words worked their way in deep, but I’m going to pick them out one by one. We’re going to get rid of her poison and make you whole again.”
“I never want to lose you.”
“And I don’t want to lose you. So I’m going to do whatever I have to in order to keep us both safe.”
She nodded, her lower lip wobbling. “I want this so much. You and I.”
“Good, Bébé. Because this is happening. You and me against the world.” He placed his hand on her chest and she moved her shaking hand to his chest. “Say it with me. You and me together forever.”
“You and me together forever.”
