Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48808 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Chapter Eleven
Trystan
"Are you nervous?" Chloe asks, glancing over at me as we walk up the steps to her parents' door the next evening, her fingers laced with mine. She looks beautiful with her hair pulled back from her face and her mossy eyes shining with happiness. Her simple white dress swishes around her thighs in stark contrast to her golden skin.
"Not even a little bit," I say. It doesn't matter that her parents and mine are both waiting inside for us. It doesn't even really matter if Colton follows through on his threat to stick his boot up my ass if I get her pregnant before I marry her. All that matters is that she's mine, she's here with me, and despite everything, nothing has fallen apart.
Things with Wyatt are still a little awkward. I can't say I'll blame him if he never recovers from walking in to find my dick down his sister's throat. Some shit, no brother should ever have to see. But he didn't break my jaw or refuse to give his blessing, so we're in that weird fucking place where shit is awkward, but it isn't broken.
Frankly, it's more than I expected. More than I could have hoped to get.
Now, it's time to face the parents. Chloe wanted to put it off for as long as possible, but we're not doing that. We've already done everything backwards, upside down, and every fucking way but right. We need to get this part over with. I don't think she'll truly relax until we do.
Some part of her still wants to hide, not because she thinks we have to do it, but because she's afraid that everyone knowing will change things. I need her to know that's not going to happen. No matter what, the relationship between our parents isn't going to fall apart. Jax and Jade aren't going to hate us. Wyatt isn't going to hate me. The two of us won't go back to the way we were before. Everything will be fine.
I wish like hell I had this clarity a long goddamn time ago. It could have saved us a lot of time and heartache. But a motherfucker is seeing shit clearly for once. I can't afford to see it any other way, not if I want to keep the girl clinging to my hand like I'm her lifeline.
Telling Wyatt how I felt about her before I told her was fucked up. I should have said it days ago. Hell, I should have admitted it years ago. Instead, I hesitated, afraid she wasn't ready to hear it. Afraid it wasn't the right time to say it. Afraid of a bunch of shit that doesn't matter because it doesn't change a goddamn thing.
I love her. I've always loved her. I will always love her. Everything else is just white noise, something that has no real bearing on our relationship or what comes next for us. The only opinions that really matter here are ours, and so long as she's willing to risk it all, I won't ever tell her no.
She draws to a stop right outside the door, peeking over at me with anxiety in her gaze.
"It's going to be okay, princess," I remind her, tugging her into my arms to brush my lips across her forehead. "They already know, remember? Your dad already gave me permission to put that ring on your finger. My parents already called to congratulate us. All we're doing now is having dinner."
"I know. I'm just nervous."
"Why?" I tip her head back, searching her face.
"You've always been my secret," she whispers. "Even if you didn't know it, I felt like I had a piece of you that I didn't have to share with anyone else. I got to keep it all to myself. I guess I just need to get used to being allowed to love you out loud."
"Jesus." I brush my lips across hers in a hard kiss. "You'll always have pieces of me no one else has, Coco. It doesn't matter who knows about us; they'll never be able to touch those places because they're yours."
They've been hers all along. Nothing will change that now. There isn't a force in heaven or hell strong enough to do that.
"I know." She smiles up at me. "But I'm selfish when it comes to you, Trystan. I don't want to share any part of you."
"You aren't the only one. I'd keep you locked in the bedroom all fucking day long if it were allowed, baby." I smooth strands of hair away from her face. "I like having you all to myself."
Her teeth sink into her bottom lip. "Maybe you can have me all to yourself after dinner."
I groan softly, resting my forehead against hers as my dick immediately stiffens in my pants. "Little minx, you aren't playing fair."