Page 100 of This I Promise You
“Can I?” I ask.
He smiles. “Yeah, babe. You can.”
“Come here.” I hold out my hand and he takes it as I guide him into the bathroom.
“Shower sex?” he questions.
That thought crossed my mind too. I’ve been toying with whether this is a good idea or not because of what happened to me. But fuck it, I want to push that all behind me forever. I want to replace all my bad experiences with Easton. Always Easton. I want all spaces to be safe as long as Easton is there with me. "Wait, East, I want to tell you something.”
He frowns, looking worried, so I continue quickly.
“I saw Dr. Orleen when we were split up, and she told me…she said I should see my family. Like, in person.” I lean against the doorframe.
“Oh. Are you going to do it?”
“I already have.”
Easton’s eyebrows raise and he tilts his head in question.
“After everything…happened between us, I flew out there and resolved things with them.” I push myself off the doorframe. “It was really hard honestly. Jace and I were shouting in each other’s faces at first. In public. Huxley had to step in.”
“Oh my God…” The genuine concern on Easton’s face softens my heart in that way only he can do.
“But we talked it through, ya know? I mean we really talked it out, and everything’s okay now. With Jace, with Dani and Felix. Well, not everything because Huxley moved in on my brother. But everything else…that’s all because of you. I—”
“Wait…Huxley and yourbrother?” Easton looks stunned but he’s grinning.
“Right! Was not expecting that. It’s cute, I guess, but that’s not important. I don’t know if I woulda had the courage to do that if I didn’t think I’d lose you without resolving those issues. After the way I treated you. So I had to do the work to make sure it won’t happen again.”
Easton’s smile is filled with compassion and love. “Can’t believe you did that just because of me.”
I reach out to him and he takes my hand, standing from the bed. “I’d do anything for you, babe.” I cup his jaw and kiss him with all the love I feel. He has to know what a fucking difference he’s made in my life. I’m hoping this will start to show him.
“Come on.” I break our kiss, and lead him into the bathroom. I sit on the edge of the toilet with him above me as I fiddle with the hem of his shirt. “You won’t be needing this.”
“No?” He tilts his head in question.
“No.” I trace my fingers along his skin, upward with his shirt hooked under my thumbs. He lifts his arms as I help him out of it, and I throw his shirt in the laundry hamper.
I hook my finger into his waistline. “These too.”
He unbuttons his jeans while I tug them off. He lifts one foot, then the other.
“Socks,” is all I say. He places his left foot on my thigh and I make slow work of taking it off. After his socks are off, he just stands there before me in his boxer briefs. I kiss his belly button. Then his hip. Then his belly button again, then his other hip. His fingers are in my short hair.
“I love you, Easton Nicholas Belle.” I rest my forehead against his abdomen. “I have been in love with you for quite some time now.”
“I love you, Paul Donovan Acre. I’ve loved you since that fucking goose atta—”
“Since the goose?” I look up at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. Really. Those running shorts were too perfect.” He rolls his eyes.
“I knew it! Guess I should find that goose and thank it, huh?”
“You sure you want to die?” Easton’s shaking his head.
“Fair. Not today.” It’s a good point. “No more geese.”
