Page 135 of Wrong For Me

I laugh. “Are you surprised?”

She studies me for a moment. “Yes. Well, not surprised that you love me—I’m pretty amazing.” I roll my eyes and she laughs. Then her face grows more serious. “But I am surprised you admitted it. I figured that would scare the bejesus out of you.”

I rest my forehead against hers, needing to be touching as much of her as I can. “It did. But when I realized that I might lose you I just…” I shrug. “I got over it.”

“You got over being scared?”

“I got over a lot of things—or I’m starting to, at least.” I brush some of that wild white-blond hair off her face. “I let Will talk to my mom.”

She pulls back, looking shocked. “What?”

I nod. “I’ve never introduced her to anyone before, not even Bodhi. I think I was…not embarrassed. Maybe protective? I didn’t like the idea of anyone judging her.”

She nods, looking sad. “I think you worry about judgement a lot, and not just with your mom.”

God, this girl knows me. It’s like she can see right through me. And I find I don’t mind, not at all. I want her to know everything about me, just like I want to know everything about her.

“You’re right. I’ve been very…defensive. My whole life. I don’t want people judging me so I don’t give them the chance. I scare them off with my attitude. I’m surly and bad-tempered so no one wants to be around me. I don’t let people get close.” I lean into her again. “I don’t want to be like that anymore.”

“You don’t have to be, Leo. You can be anything you want.” She kisses my forehead. “So you let Will talk to your mom?”

I nod. “I figured the only way I was going to convince any of you is if I was completely open. So we called my mom and I asked her to tell him what kind of son I am. And after we hung up, I explained to him why that was a big deal. That it wasn’t just a mom hyping up her kid. I told him about how I grew up.”

She stares at me, knowing just how hard it had been for me to admit that. “You did?”

I don’t tell her that I half-expected him to already know. I figured Daltrey would share everything he found out about me once the shit hit the fan. “I needed him to see that I was putting myself out there,” I tell her. “That I had nothing to hide.”

She shakes her head. “You didn’t have to do that.”

I shrug. “It worked. It got him to agree to bring me to you.”

“Wait.” She pulls back, eyes wide. “Did you fly on a private jet today?”

I laugh. “No, we flew commercial.”

She winces. “Another last-minute flight on your credit card.”

I shrug. “I asked Bodhi to lend me the money. He said it was no big deal.” He’d actually cried and tried to hug me. It was the first time I’d ever asked for a real favor.

Rose sees that, too, because her face softens. “My, you really are getting past some things, aren’t you?”

I kiss her. “You’re worth it, Rose.”

Even this, coming here, laying myself bare in front of her, is a victory. A few months ago, I never would have allowed myself to be in this position. I would have gotten pissed that she didn’t automatically believe me. I would have been bitter, because of course she would believe the worst about the forever-broke kid from the wrong side of town with the weirdo mom. I would have put up my walls and let her walk away.

But I meant it when I told her I didn’t want to be like that anymore. And if growing some balls means I get to keep her, I’ll do it a thousand times over.

“Say it again,” she whispers against my lips.

“You’re worth it?”

She shakes her head, eyes dancing. “The other thing. The I love you thing.”

“I love you.”

She grins. “One more time.”

I pinch her sides. “You know, I can’t help but notice you haven’t said it yet.”