Page 164 of When There Was You
I maneuver myself onto his lap in the most awkward, ungraceful, crawl-plop move ever.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s just…so…awesome. Such an enormous present,” I croak, stupid eyes wellingagain. And now I hear it…the voice that’s accompanied me too long. The one always whispering that I’m not worth a damn.
But Iamworthy. Worthy of Butch, the pursuit of happiness, abundance and gifts, and anything else. I have self-worth.
Butch tilts my face toward his. “I think you underestimate the depth of my affection for you, Sundance.” He pauses. “What we’ve got is the real deal. My love for you grows every day, and it’s the kind of perfection you don’t question or try to explain. You hold onto it, nurture it, treasure it…and mash the fucking gas.”
A tear slips from my eyes, absorbing his reassuring and beautiful words.
“In my mind, I’ve seen our life unfold all the way to the finish line—and it’s blinding in its brilliance but also comforting and steady. You and me? We’re meant to be. I thought I knew what love was before, and I was wrong. This, baby,thisis it. I’d give you a hundred Camaros if it made you happy.” He squints as if the idea pains him, and I chuckle.
Our lips meet, tasting of worship and longing, tenderness and passion.
“You are the most wonderful man. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m going to love you with every ounce of my being for the rest of my life.”
“That’s all I want. You by my side.”
“Like the real Butch and Sundance?”
He mulls that over. “Our rendition…partnersandlovers.”
I lift an eyebrow. “You want to christen this car, Lumberjack?” I whisper.
He answers with roving hands, his lips searing me with a kiss.
“I love that you’re mine,” he says. “And I’m yours.”
My palms frame his face, his warmth seeping through my fingers. “Thank you for all that you are, have been, and will be. I can’t wait to love you forever.”
“I could get used to that.” His pointed gaze—a bright, happy green—caresses me even more effectively than his hands, and I’m lost in his forest once again.
