First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 92

  We stay tangled together for a long while, Taytum's chest warm against my back, her arm hooked tight around me, one hand spread over my belly like she's holding both me and the baby. Her skin is damp against mine, her breath still ragged, but even as it slows she doesn't let go.

  Her fingers keep tracing circles over my belly, slow and steady, and every so often her thumb drags lower, skating over my hipbone like she can't quite help herself. It doesn't turn into more, not yet, but it's enough to keep me flushed, aware of her in every way. I shift closer, tuck my leg between hers, and she exhales like she's been waiting for me to move.

  For a while we just breathe each other in, kissing lazily, touching without urgency. It's not about release this time; it's about knowing we belong here, tangled and sweaty and still clinging like neither of us plans to let go.

  Every muscle in me feels loose, spent, shaky in the best way. My thighs ache, my pussy throbs, my lips are swollen, and my whole body is humming. My heart feels heavier than any of it. Heavier because it's her. Because it's Taytum and the way she makes me feel. I can still feel the mess she left between my thighs. I should be satisfied. I should be done but I honestly want more. More of her.

  The young woman who chased me down when I tried to push her away. The one who never flinched no matter how messy it got. The one who just got on her knees and asked me to marry her like I was something worth staying for.

  And I letTaytum love me. I didn't run. I didn't shut her out. I did let her in. That alone feels unreal. For so long I convinced myself I wasn't worth staying for, that anyone would get tired of the mess that comes with me. But here she is, still holding on, still choosing me. Even when I gave her every excuse to walk away, she never once loosened her grip.

  "Hey," I whisper, my voice scratchy and worn.

  Taytum hums against my shoulder, lips brushing my skin in that lazy, tender way that makes me want to cry all over again. The sound makes me smile even as my throat tightens. She doesn't even have to say words sometimes; the smallest hum from her feels like a promise. Her lips are soft, damp against my skin, and I swear I could get drunk on just that... on her mouth, her breath, her closeness.

  I roll in her arms until I'm facing her, pressed so close I can feel the beat of her heart against my chest.

  "You didn't have to love me this much," I say, so quiet it almost breaks before it leaves me.

  Her eyes find mine, steady and soft. "I didn't have a choice."

  Between the euphoric feeling and my pregnancy hormones, the words knock something loose inside me.

  "I mean it," I try again, my throat burning. "You could've had someone with less baggage. Someone easier. Not pregnant. Not... me."

  Taytum's hand comes up, brushing damp hair from my forehead, her thumb smoothing across my cheek. "There is no one else, Dani. I never wanted easier. I wanted real. I wanted you."

  Tears sting, hot and sharp, but she kisses them away before they even fall. She doesn't mind my breaking, she never has. She never minds. If anything, she likes it. "You're crying again," she teases softly, brushing her thumb across my cheek like it's the most natural thing.

  I roll my eyes, sniffle, and whisper back, "You should probably get used to it. Hormones, remember?" That makes her grin, and she kisses the corner of my mouth like it's some kind of reward.

  She presses her forehead to mine, breathing me in. "You're mine now, and I'm yours. That's it."

  I close my eyes, soaking her in. Her words, her breath, her warmth. She makes it sound so simple, like it's always been waiting here for us.