Page 72 of This Is Love (The Light to My Darkness 3)

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes men were so dense. “I first saw this movie when I was a freshman in high school I think. And I kept hoping that one day, someone would love me that much. But in my heart, I thought I knew that would never be the case. Because no one had ever loved me. No one had ever put me first. I didn’t know how that felt. I thought I was destined to be alone. Until you.”

He grabbed my ankle and pulled me closer to him on the couch. “I love you that much.”

“I know. I love you that much too. Which reminds me…I did something. You’ve probably been wondering where I disappeared to earlier today?”

“I was wondering. But my decision to have zero stress in my life told me to ignore it. That you’d tell me when you were ready.”

“I’m ready.”

“And this isn’t going to stress me out?”

“Not in the slightest. At least, I hope not. I guess if you don’t like it…” I shook my head. “You’ll like it.”

He raised his eyebrow in that sexy way of his.

I moved my feet off his lap and stood up. He was watching me so expectantly. Like I truly did hold the key to his heart. Like every move I made he wanted to see and be there with me. Like he loved me more than any hero in any movie. I slowly pulled my shirt off over my head.

“I feel like I’m going to like this.”

I laughed and tossed my shirt at him.

He caught it before it covered his head. “A striptease to celebrate the health of our family?”

“Well, it can turn into that if you want. But I need to show you something first.” I unhooked my bra and pulled it off.

His eyes were glued to my breasts.

“James.” I waved my hand in front of his face. “I’m trying to show you something.” I pointed to the bandage on the side of my ribcage. I tried not to wince as I pulled it off.

I watched his eyes scan the words. And the lines of an EKG machine. And the date that we first met.

“My heart beats for you,” he said slowly.

I couldn’t read his expression at all. “The one you got was the most

romantic thing in the world. I know I couldn’t compete with you writing, ‘my life began the day I met you,’ on the side of your ribcage. But I want you to know that you’re never alone, James. That even though you’re there to catch me when I fall, I’m there to catch you too. You know? And when life gets hard and it feels like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, I’m there to carry some of that weight for you. Forever and always.”

He leaned forward and lightly traced the skin beneath my tattoo. “You got a tattoo for me.”

“I did. I needed you to know how much I cared. I didn’t know how else to show you.”

“You desecrated your perfect body for me?” He finally lifted his gaze off the words and locked eyes with me.

I smiled. “I said those exact words to you on our wedding day.”

“I’ll never forget them.”

“But I liked yours. I meant the desecrate thing playfully. I love yours actually.” There was an awkward silence. “Please tell me you don’t hate it.”

“I don’t hate it.”

“But you don’t like it?”

“I think that you’re missing two dates.” He smiled up at me.

I laughed and put my hands on my hips. “This thing hurt like hell. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have pressured you into getting the other two dates.”

“I love it, Penny.”

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