Page 100 of The Last Love Story
“Why did you leave?”
Her eyes find mine. “I panicked. I read what he said again and started reading through the comments. All the awful things people said. How they would never support you again. I don’t want your career to be ruined because you’re stuck with me.”
I move closer and grab her arm. “Why would you ever think I’m stuck with you? Do you not understand how much you’ve given me?”
She sniffs and shakes her head, looking down. “I know you wanted a home. You wanted someone to love. But did you actually wantme?”
Holy fuck. It did not for one goddamn second occur to me that she’d think that.
I rest my palm on her cheek and turn her so she’s facing me again. “Youare the person I love.Youare my home. Not an apartment or a town. You. Always you. Only you. My home is where your heart is.”
She sniffs again, tears trickling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I should’ve… trusted you. I let those comments get into my head.”
“What comments?”
“People saying I didn’t deserve you and we’d never end up together or you must be cheating on me because fat girls don’t end up with thin, fit guys.”
“Fuck that. Fuck all those people and their ridiculous, shameful standards. I’ve never looked at someone and thought they were ugly based on their physical appearance. What makes people ugly is their soul. The way they treat people. How they view the world. The love in their heart. And you are beautiful in every way.” I gesture to my body. “Someday, these abs and—if my father is any indication—about half my hair will be gone. Are you going to love me less?”
She grabs my arm, looking horrified. “Of course not.”
The words hang there for a second, and a smile overtakes me. “You just admitted you love me.”
She laughs and brushes her thumb over my cheek. “I did. Ilove you. And you’re crazy if you don’t know you’ve had my heart this whole time.”
“Andyouare crazy to ever think I’m stuck with you. I chose you. I’ll always choose you. I’ll never stop.”
“I’m sorry I left.”
“I understand. We’re still figuring this marriage thing out. It’s almost like we need to know each other for more than two months. But if there’s one thing I want you to be certain of, it’s that I’m your safe place, and if you feel like running, the only place you need to run is to me.”
She rests her head on my shoulder. “What about everything else?”
“Like I said, I truly think it’ll be okay. But I’ve already talked to my cousin Stacy about a defamation lawsuit if we need to go there. For now, there’s this.”
I pull out my phone and open it to the post, the comment section of which has filled up with love and support for us.
She takes it from me and reads through what I wrote, then goes up and scrolls through the pictures, tears spilling down her cheeks as she does.
Then her hand is on my neck and she’s staring into my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you too, darlin’.”
Her lips land on mine, and everything else fades away. I’m home. In our love, in her, I will always be home.
Jade’snaked body is wrapped around mine as we lie in bed, ignoring the world.
Since that sniveling piece of shit’s post yesterday, his world has unraveled. Not only have Jade and I been bolstered with tons of love and support, multiple female authors, influencers, and somefans have stood up and told their stories about Darren Corval. The best thing to see was the bolstering from men in the community who saw some of his predatory behavior and defended women, then spoke up too. Women raising their voices is essential, but men backing them up shows other men that the kind of bullshit Corval tried to get away with will not be tolerated.
He ended up deleting his post about Jade and me.
Stacy was pissed and sent a little cease and desist order his way. It’s almost like he knew he was wrong.
I don’t know what he thought would happen, but at this point, I don’t care.
He’s taken up enough of my brain space.
All I care about right now is this.
