Allie
“I love you.”
For several seconds, I forgot how to breathe.
Chase’s hand remained against my cheek. His eyes held mine without uncertainty, though something vulnerable existed beneath the calm.
He had said the words without creating a moment around them.
No expensive dinner.
No cameras.
No public speech.
We were lying beneath the blanket after making love, with my hair tangled, his shirt somewhere near the foot of the bed, and the security lights moving faintly across the curtains.
It should have felt ordinary.
Instead, the entire room changed.
“I love the way you refuse easy answers,” he continued. “I love the life you brought into this house. I love that you stand beside me without pretending I am always right.”
“You are rarely right,” I whispered.
“I am trying to be v
