Veronica’s body jolts, but she doesn’t pull away. Her mouth parts in surprise.
“I don’t want to miss an opportunity to tell you, because we don’t know that tomorrow is guaranteed. I don’t ever want you guessing how I feel. I want you to always be secure in knowing my heart belongs to you and no one else.”
“Oh, wow,” she whispers, eyes turning limpid as my words sink in.
“I know we’ve only known each other a few months, and I don’t know if there’s a time period or a protocol of when you release those words to someone because I’ve got no fucking experience. There’s only one woman in my life who gets those words, and that’s Janelle. But I knew when you placed yourself in harm’s way to protect her that you were the one I’d been waiting for. I just don’t know if it’s weird I’m telling you this.”
“I don’t think there’s a rule book,” she murmurs with a soft smile. I’m encouraged she’s smiling.
“I just know it in my heart,” I explain. “I didn’t know there was even room in my heart for this, but you made it so. And once I opened it and let you in, there’s only one thing left to do, and it’s to make sure you know every day of your life that is where you shall reside forever.”
“Jesus, Riggs.” Her eyes fill with tears, and she blinks them away. “How did you go from asshole two months ago to the most romantic man in the world? You should patent those words and sell them. Total panty-melters.”
I snort as I put a hand behind her neck to squeeze. “I see I’ve shocked you.”
She nods. “A good shock. And I’m glad you’re the one who had the guts to initiate this conversation. Because I love you too. I think I’ve been afraid to share it, because you never know how the other person will feel.”
“Except we just watched an unimaginable catastrophe happen tonight, and it puts things in perspective.”
“I hate that it happened, but yes,” she concludes sadly. “It does make you realize you need to cherish the good things in your life. It makes me realize, I need to let you know that I feel the same way about you. Even in the face of all this tragedy tonight, I still have an excitement… wanting to see where this journey takes us. I know it will only be to good places.”
“The best,” I reply. I pull her in and kiss her softly.
Places I’d never even dreamed of before. Places that, now that I’ve imagined them, I’m never going to let go.