Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 123(@200wpm)___ 99(@250wpm)___ 82(@300wpm)
“Our mom, and I promise that’s the last thing she’s going to be. She’ll still get the wedding.”
“You really don’t think she’ll be upset?” I ask. I know Felica loves me like a daughter, but Mack and me being a couple could end up causing problems. It’s partly why I’ve kept my feelings to myself.
“No, she’s been wondering when we were going to pull our heads out of our asses and finally do this.” I stare at him in shock.
“But…”
“The setups? Her way of getting me to finally snap. She knew exactly what she was doing. Don’t let her tell you any different.”
“Snap? What you did was way more than snap!” I hiss at him. His eyebrow is still healing from the fight he’d gotten into with Eric.
“I don’t like men near you.” He shrugs like this is common knowledge. I mean, it is to a degree. He’s always been the protective brotherly type when it comes to me. That’s what I’ve always chalked his behavior up to be.
“That’s only you being a protective brother.”
“Protective brother?” A burst of unexpected laughter comes from him.
“Why are you laughing? You’ve been protective of me since the day I met you,” I point out. Why is he acting like this is new? He marched right up to me that first day of school and never left my side since.
“No.” He shakes his head. “I knew I had to get to you first before someone else got any damn ideas who you belonged to.” I open and close my mouth as the memories start to shuffle through my mind. This time, though, I don’t look at them as Mack being a protective brother but something else altogether. The truth smacks me right in the face. “I’m possessive when it comes to you, Sunshine, and I’m tired of pretending you’re not mine in every damn way. Our baby proves it. You welcomed me into your body. Let me into a place you’ve never let anyone else. Then fate took over.”
My heart pounds, and I suddenly start to feel very dizzy. “What are you saying? Please be more clear here.” Mack pulls into the driveway and then the garage. He suddenly unhooks my seatbelt and plucks me right out of my seat, into his lap.
“I’m in love with you, Sunshine. I’ve been trying to show you that for years.” Tears slip down my cheeks as more of our memories flash through my mind. We’ve always done everything together. He’s been there for every important moment of my life.
We went to prom together, walked together at graduation. Mack even picked the same college as I did. He always stayed close to me. It didn’t stop after college, either. He even had me in mind when he purchased this house. It’s my dream home. He’s been there for me through thick and thin. During the toughest moments of my life too. When my world fell apart, even at a young age, Mack was there to help me put it back together.
“I just want you to open your heart to the possibility of loving me in the same way that I love you. I think if you would only crack that door open for me, then I could get you to love me the same. Well, maybe not as deep. I don’t think anyone could love someone as deeply as I love you. But if you let me, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to get you to love me.”
How have I not seen this? “I’m sorry,” I say. Mack flinches. “No, I don't mean it that way. I’m sorry I’ve let fear rule me.” That’s why I haven’t allowed myself to see what was right in front of me this whole time. “I’ve been so scared that if I told you how I feel about you that I could ruin us if it didn’t work out or if you didn’t feel the same. You are so important to me that I couldn’t risk losing you.”
“Sunshine.” I place my finger to his lips.
“I need to say this. I should have said it years ago. I’d even told my parents the day before I lost them that I was going to come clean with you about how I felt.” Mack’s eyes widen with surprise. “After I lost them and you and your family took me in, I was scared to rock that boat. You guys are my whole world. I can’t lose you. So I thought it was better to leave things as they were. Even if it’s been slowly killing me inside.”
His hand wraps around my wrist, pulling my finger down from his mouth. “You’ll never lose me, Sunny. Ever. You’ll always belong to me. You’re the only girl I’ll ever love. Hell, you’re the only girl I’ve ever wanted.” He opens the car door, stepping out with me in his arms. I wrap my legs around him as he carries me into the house. “And I’m going to show you just how much I need you.”