Page 64 of Where You Belong

“We’re going to watch a movie?” My eyes light up.

When Corbin was recovering, Huxton loved making forts in the living room. Corbin would crawl in to watch movies with him. It was something they did to bond together. The forts continued to grow until they nearly took over the entire room.

Atlas hardly ever made time for Huxton, so when Corbin came into his life and gave him nothing but his time, I could see how much it meant to Huxton. He was building a bond with him that meant the world to both of us.

I press my hand to my chest, amazed at the thought he put into making the night special. He reaches for my other hand, guiding me to climb over the tailgate and onto the bed. Pillows and blankets cover the back with small lights draped along the side, twinkling in the darkness, giving it a cozy and romantic feeling.

Corbin crawls behind me, reclining against the pillows before pulling me into his arms. The warmth from our body heat mixed with the cool breeze sends goose bumps skating across my skin. Corbin thought it all through and pulled a blanket over us as we cuddled in.

His arms wrap around me, his fingers tracing a path over my arms. The more his hands begin to roam, the more distracted I’ve become.

I tilt my head back against his shoulder, staring over at him to find him looking back at me. He grips my chin in his fingers, kissing me once more. It starts off slow and sensual before his mouth opens to trace his tongue along my lower lip. When I open my mouth to him, he brushes his tongue against mine. He groans, and I can feel him hardening in his pants.

Our chests heave, our breaths growing labored. When he slips his cold fingers beneath my sweater, the contrast to my heated skin causes my body to tremble.

I trace my hand over the stubble lining his jaw. When he pulls back, a hint of desire is glazing over his eyes, mixed with something else. We haven’t spoken those three words to each other since the night I stayed at his house. They are on the tip of my tongue now. I want so badly to say it and hear him return those feelings.

He must’ve sensed my hesitation. Our foreheads rest against each other’s, and I tilt my head back, our labored breaths filtering against our wet skin.

“Do you know how much you mean to me, Haelynn?”

I soak in every word he says, focusing on the crack in his voice and the sensations his touch creates as he traces his fingers along my stomach.

“Yes,” I breathe out.

“Do you trust me when I tell you I’ll never hurt you?”

“I do.”

“I love you,” he whispers.

Warmth from his words spread through my body and tears prick my eyes. I grip his face in my hands and kiss him. This time, with all the passion in me, wanting him to feel how much I love him, too.

When I pull back, I breathe out the words I’ve been holding on to until the right moment.

“I love you too.”

I roll over, moving my leg over his lap to straddle him. I wrap my arms and legs around him, holding him against me. He runs his hands along my hips, tracing the edge of my sweater before gliding them over my skin. The move sends a shiver through my body.

“I’ve been dreaming of you and everything about this night long before I ever even knew you. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but I don’t want to ever lose you again.”

Tears fill the brim of my eyes. I release a shuddered breath, blinking through the tears, and continue, “You’ve promised me over and over you’d always be here for me. You’ve been patient. I promise you I’m done fighting it; I’m done running. I love you, and there’s nowhere else I want to be than here with you.”

“You were worth it every step of the way.”

I sigh. The tears that were once threatening to fall now stream down my face. I smile when Corbin brushes his thumbs under my eyes, wiping them away.

“One day soon, I’m going to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me. I’ll love you until I take my last breath.”

I grip his face and crash my lips against his.

When our lips break apart, he whispers against mine, “I’ll never stop fighting for you, for us.”

Epilogue

Haelynn ~ Six Months Later

The past few months have flown by like a whirlwind. Most days, I wake up and ask myself if I’m living a dream.

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