Chapter 208: Chapter Forty-Six

Jaymeson

I was staring at her — hard.

I may have snuck into her room once Dani fell asleep, and now I was being the creepy boyfriend/fiancé that stared at his girl as if she held secrets to the universe on the pillow of her lips.

Pillow of her lips — bloody fantastic. There I went again, getting all sentimental and wanting to slap myself in the face.

Pris moaned in her sleep. I tucked her body into mine and watched the waves slowly cascade across the white sand beach. Her room was on the top floor, giving her the perfect view of the beach.

Two months ago I'd hated Seaside.

Now? I would live here, if that meant keeping her — and keeping what we had solid. Yeah, I'd put down roots or whatever the hell people called it.

Dani hadn't lasted more than three seconds in her old house before she'd burst into tears. I could tell Pris wanted to cry too, but she was trying to be strong.

Funeral arrangements sucked balls. And that wasn't me being insensitive. It was the cold hard truth. Just when I thought the girls were doing better, they'd break down.

I ended up helping out of pure desperation. I hated seeing Pris cry and that immediately transferred to her sister.

The funeral was small, but the entire freaking town showed up, giving the girls their support.

I was thankful for that, thankful for the small community that stood behind the girls like they were family. Thankful that I was witness to what community and family really were about.

For a guy who'd once whored himself around and hated the idea of marriage and a family — I was sure jumping the gun.

But I'd never wanted anything so desperately in my entire life.

“Jaymeson…” Pris mumbled. “Aren't you supposed to be in your room?”

“I am in my room.”

“You're in my room,” she clarified without opening her eyes.

“My house. I own all the rooms.” I patted her head. “Sleep, love.”

“Am I going to suck?” She yawned and sat up, blinking a few times before her eyes seemed to focus on me.

“What are we talking about?”

She rolled her eyes and backhanded me in the shoulder. “When what's-his-face flies in to Portland and we do that read-through — am I going to suck?”

“Of course not.” I tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her lightly across the lips. “You'll be with me. So everything's going to be fine.”

“I'm worried.” She held her lower lip hostage between her teeth.

“About acting?”

Her head shook slowly. “About Dani.”

“She has us,” I vowed. “And we won't let anything happen to her. She just needs time.”

Pris nodded and then offered an excited smile. “And we have that.”

“What?”

“Time.”

“We do.” I chuckled. “We have all the time in the world.”

“I love you,” she whispered, tears pooling in the depths of her deep brown eyes. “So much.”

“I love you too.” I brushed another kiss across her mouth. “Now, go to sleep. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake up and I make you pancakes.”

“Deal.” She snuggled back into the bed and held out her arm. I didn't need a second invitation. I grasped my girl as tight as possible and fell asleep with a grin on my face.

Not because I was having sex.

Or because I was whoring myself around.

Not even because I was the luckiest bastard in the world.

But because I had the heart of the girl I loved — and I wasn't ever letting go.