Grit To Grace

Thirteen

Fallyn's lips curled into a mischievous smirk. She pulled her hand from his, arms folding over her chest as she looked Will up and down.

"Well Cowboy, if we aren't friends, then what are we? I'm assuming we're not best friends either." She stopped, then stepped closer. Her voice dropped down to just above a whisper. "What am I to you?"

"Mine." Will spoke with conviction. It wasn't just a statement; it was a promise. His tone held the conviction of a man who had already made the final decision long before he'd been asked.

Fallyn's heart seemed to leap from her chest at that one word. Mine. She stared up at him with wide eyes, her mind struggling to come up with a response. He held her gaze with a calmness she could only envy. His expression wasn't entirely readable as he tried to gauge her reaction, but it was far from cold.

"Yours?" She finally seemed to remember her words, her voice only a quiet whisper in the air. Then, as if she suddenly remembered her usual sass, she added; "Your what, exactly? Lover? Companion? Friend with Benefits?" She raised a challenging brow and lifted her chin. Her heart was still beating rapidly, her cheeks burned as bright red as her hair. Fallyn had never been anything but a plaything to a man who should have cared for her. Despite her feelings for Will, her instincts told her that Will would be no different. No man would. But then, the corners of his lips lifted in a ghost of a smile.

"You're my everything." He shrugged. The words came so naturally to him, like they were simple. He didn't have to think about it. The words rolled off his tongue as if they meant nothing. His words, however, meant more than she had words for. A long moment of silence stretched between them, and Will's eyes flickered with doubt.

"Everything?" She echoed softly. He swallowed thickly, but nodded all the same.

"When you panicked and nothing Aveline was doing worked, I wrapped you up in my arms and rocked you. While I did, I called you mi sol. That means my sunshine..." As he spoke, Fallyn raised a brow and tilted her head slightly. Nerves twisted his stomach. He sucked in a steadying breath and continued.

"That's what you are to me. My sunshine. I wake with you each morning, I sleep when you do. You grant me strength and warmth. You ward off the demons of the dark, just by being here. You give me all the reason I need to get out of bed. So yes, Fallyn Logan. You are my sunshine, and much like the planet... I'm fairly sure I'd die without you." She stood frozen in place as he spoke, her eyes wide as she listened.

"We don't need labels like Aveline and Allen have. I'm not your boyfriend and you're not my girlfriend. You're simply mine and I am yours, for as long as I breathe. We don't need anything but each other."

Fallyn simply stared at him for a long moment. Her chest seemed to constrict and she could feel her throat tightening with emotion. Never in her life had a man spoken of her like that. His words were pure poetry. She sucked in a breath, unable to find the words she wanted to say. Will was kind, sweet... God, he was perfect. Like he was pulled straight out of a romance novel. He was suave and charming, he was handsome. Every minute detail was right.

His declaration brought on a wave of tears and she felt her knees give out. As if in slow motion she sank down to the hard-packed dirt. His words echoed again and again through her mind.

If the kiss earlier didn't solidify her feelings for Will, those words certainly did. She let out a soft sob, hiding her face in her hands. Will's heart dropped as he watched her fall to her knees. He kneeled down beside her, wrapping her up in his arms and rocking her. He swallowed down the panic in his throat, holding her closer as she cried.