She hugged Rafe tight, kissing him all over his face while he giggled and laughed. It was like a scene out of a fucking Hallmark movie.
I bit my bottom lip while I took her in, listening to my heart as it beat with vigor and the most indescribable joy.
She looked up, and when her eyes met mine, everything shifted into place. Everything aligned perfectly. Our past. Our present. Our future. I saw it all in that exact moment in time.
“Layla.” I wanted to repeat her name a thousand times. I wanted to hear it on my lips, taste it on my tongue.
I walked closer, never taking my eyes off her. She looked more beautiful than ever. Long, golden hair blowing in the soft breeze. The floral-design knee length dress hugged her body perfectly, her cheeks once again painted with a healthy pink glow.
“Hello, Dante.” She smiled, and it made my heart swell inside my chest. “I’m sorry—”
I pulled her closer and smothered her words with my lips. I had waited too damn long for her to come back to me only to have it pass with words which could not describe how powerful this moment was to me.
With her still holding Rafe, I wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her against me, kissing her, tasting her, and pouring every ounce of longing I had felt over the last eight weeks into this one simple act of affection. Never was a fucking long time, but never would I go without her again. Never would I experience a single sunrise without her sitting next to me.
Reluctantly, I pulled away, leaning my head against hers. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
I pinched my eyes closed, pushing back the tears which threatened to show my weakness. Her. She was my weakness.
I kissed her again, her lips wet and warm against mine. She moaned, and Rafe giggled.
“Mommy and Daddy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
Layla snickered. “Where did he learn that?”
“One word. Lorik.”
She laughed, and I finally moved back to look at her. “How are you doing?”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s a battle every day. But I’m good.” She looked at Rafe and kissed his cheek. “As long as I have you, I’m good.”
I pulled them both close, placing a hand on Rafe’s back and a kiss on Layla’s temple. Her sweet scent wrapped around me, and finally, my soul could find rest. With her. With Rafe. Our family.
“I love you, Dante.” Her words had a direct line to my rapidly beating heart.
“Say that again.”
“I love you.”
“I need to hear you say that every day for the rest of my life.” It was a plea of a desperate man who realized he was nothing without the love of his life.
“I love you with all my heart, Dante. That has never changed.”
I closed my eyes, silently thanking God for the angel he had sent me. If it wasn’t for her, for her love, I would have been swallowed whole by a cruel and empty world.
“I love you too, Layla.” I placed another kiss on her head. God, I would kiss this woman a hundred times a day for the rest of my fucking life. “Tell me what you want to do. Where you want to go. I don’t care where, Layla. I’ll follow. I’ll follow you and Rafe to the ends of the Earth.”
She looked up at me. “I don’t want to go anywhere, Dante. I want to stay right here.”
I narrowed my eyes and studied her beautiful face. “Are you sure? You left once because you felt our world was unsafe for our child. After what happened, I will understand if you still feel the same way. But this time I’m coming with you.”
She placed her finger in front of my lips. “I made a mistake. I never should have run from you. But now I know Rafe and I are safest with you…here, with the rest of your family.”
If my heart swelled any further it would fucking explode.
Layla put Rafe down, and he ran off to the swing. She placed her palm on my cheek, and my skin erupted with chills from her touch. “I love you, Dante. You. The real you. And if I had to take you away from here, away from your family, I won’t have all of you.”