Chapter 96
Chapter 96
"I've been too much of a coward to tell you while you're awake, and I'm sorry for that. I didn't want to scare you away. I can't. I don't want to lose you. Katrina"
Katrina did turn around then, tears in her eyes, her face
entirely fro
You could never scare me away. Kylan I haven't. All this time, I've been by your side. I've been patient. I've been underganding. There's not a damn thing you could say that would make me not be completely in love with your stubborn, grumpy, kind, warm ass." She didn't disguise the emotion in her voice. She wanted Kylan in understand. To know how much she loved him. How much she would always love him
The expression on Kylan's face. It was He was. Shit, he really did love her. It was clear. As clear as the sky on a sunny darnn day.
His eyes were brimaning with it Overflowing with words, emotions, the feelings he didn't know how to say
She let out an embarrassing whimper, flinging her wet hands around his neck and hugging him tighter than she ever had. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him and releasing a long, slow, exhale.
"I love you, Kylan, I love you" She sobbed those words, sniffling, her heart nearly exploding with the truth that she had been holding Kylan gingerly shifted so that he could take hold of her face, his thumbs brushing the tears away that pooled beneath her e bark
"I love you. Katrina. You're the only person I've ever been in love with, and the only person I ever want to be in love with. Rylan's own eyes were full of tears, and she heard herself laughing.
"You're a pain in the ass, Kylan Ross. My pain in the ass. Forever mine." Her hands fisted in the back of his hair and her lips ascended on his kissing him with every ounce of passion, every unfiltered emotion that she possibly could.
Tim yours. As long as you want me, kylan spoke against her lips.
She hammed, resting her forehead against his.
"Will you make love
to me. Kylan?" It was the first time, the first real instance that she had ever referred to their passion in that way.
"Every damn day, if you'll let me." With that. Kylan picked her up bridal style, carrying her over to the staircase and walking her up to the loft.
0-0-0-
Katrina would never tire of this. She would never become bored of Kylan. She would never grow used to making love to him, feeling him inside ber, hearing how much he cared for her.
She would never take for granted the fact that Kylan let her in, let her see him in a way that he hid from the rest of the world. She would never stop being grateful that he knew she was just the same, and he knew exactly how to make her feel safe and seen. It wouldn't ever be easy, it wouldn't be a perfect journey, but it would be hers. It would be her own journey with Kylan. Her own path with him. She didn't need perfect. She didn't want perfect
She wanted real. She wanted someone who believed in her, who pushed her to be the best version of herself. She wanted to do the same, to be the same for someone else,
She wanted Kylan.
Her former boss
Her best friend.
Her parter.
Her equal
as the warmth of his release flooded
-0-0-0-
no clear distinction of where she ended, and Kylan began. She stared out at
the bracelet on her wrist and her
bracelets. The one with broken edges, barely
each bit of Kylan, the good and the bad, the frayed and the neat. And she knew he
agreeing in the contract, all those months ago, she spoke into the quiet of the night, distant sounds of
to properly thank the top of her
But just know that I feel it, I feel all of
enough for me, Kylan. All of it. It's enough," she sighed, pressing herself
the next few hours, whispering in each other in the soft glow of
trees and mounds
of her safe haven, the keeper of her heart, on a bed in the middle of
www.
Just like she wanted
like she
was a good dream. An
was her
didn't have a nightmare that night, and neither did
SIX MONTHS LATER
Growth. Healing. Genuine happiness.
equal amounts of relief and smiles was ever
away. There were days that he struggled to let her in more than others. There were times he allowed his fear, his worry to dictate his decisions and to rule aspects of his personal life. Those instances were hard.
the uncertainty, the shadows and ghosts that Kylan could never quite get away from, she could see growth. She could see him battle himself, wrought with a desire to let her
end. He would always relent, always work through it enough to hug her. To hold her hand. To kiss her, which she still held the
with many words uttered at all. He kept her informed, and she
verbalize that he needed space. It helped her to hear those
her. He would seek comfort
and it was special to witness the process in
each other out. Kylan pushed her to better herself, and she did the
in her abilmes both in and out of the office, and she gave him equal courtesy.
slays, and moods like
had leveled off in such a way that their relationship no longer needed to be a public spectacle. This also took a ridiculous amount of pressure off her professional and personal shoulders, and she
days of publicized dates, staged photos and carefully thought of
her, and not for the reputation she helped him to obtain. It wasn't even that she doubted him, in all actuality. It only sealed her feelings in
0
she was sprawled out across Rylan's couch, her head resting against his chest, his hand casually nestled against her heart while she
room around them. Her attention was
her, drawing her out of
save her place. She glanced at her phone, noting the time, and yawned. It was only nine
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