Page 180 of From Best Friend to Bride
“I’m the one who asked for this, right?” My voice was thick as I stood up. “Do you have a pen?”
“A pen? What for?” He froze again. “To sign that? No. Absolutely not.” He reached over the desk and snatched the papers out of my hands.
“Ouch!”
“Fuck.” He ran around the desk and grabbed my hands, turning them over and over until he found the small papercut he’d accidentally given me. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Deli. I wasn’t thinking. I—I’m still half asleep. Hold on. Let me get a plaster. I’ll—”
I dipped my head to hide my smile.
He was so cute when he was flustered like this.
“Fred?”
He stilled, his thumb pressing against the spot on my hand where the papercut was stinging. “What is it?”
I looked up at him. “Do you love me?”
He drew in a deep breath and hesitated, but before he could answer, a bright pink flush spread across his face. His eyes widened with a little twitch, and a mix of both panic and relief flashed in the blue depths of his gaze.
My heart skipped inside my chest.
He loves me.
I brought my hand to rest on his flaming cheek and reached onto my tiptoes, bringing my face close to his. “Because I love you, Fred. I’m in love with you.”
His shoulders heaved, and his grip on my hand tightened, but the pain of the sting barely registered as he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me. “Yes,” he whispered against my lips. “Ilove you, Deli. I’m so in love with you I don’t even know what to do anymore.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and kissed him firmly, leaving no room for air between us whatsoever. He released my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist, and I circled my arms around his neck, pulling myself even closer to him.
A tear squeezed its way out of my eye and trickled down my cheek, and he kissed it away. “Don’t cry,” he murmured against my skin.
“Idiot!” I thumped his shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was a coward.” A tiny smile tugged one side of his lips up. “How was I supposed to tell you that you’ve become my very soul?”
His words made my breath hitch, and I buried my face in his chest. “You said it last night, though. You said you love me.”
He briefly stilled. “You heard me?”
I nodded. “I wasn’t quite asleep.”
Fred groaned. “So, your little performance just now…”
“Was your punishment for leaving me alone all night.” I pouted, looking up at him. “You deserved it.”
“You’re so clingy.” He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “Don’t ever change, Delilah.”
“Answer me one thing first.”
“What is it?”
“What were you doing with those divorce papers?”
He sighed. “Trying to convince you to not leave me. They were going to follow the annulment papers into the fire.”
“The fire you didn’t light,” I pointed out.
“Well, it was one a.m.”
