First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 101

  We're both catching our breath, bodies slick with sweat, when Taytum shifts behind me. I feel her hand on my hip, gentle, soothing.

  "Hold still, baby," she whispers, voice low but careful. "Let me take this off."

  I nod, face still buried in the pillow, my body too spent to do anything but listen. She eases the strap out of me, slow and careful, like she's afraid of hurting me even though I'm already trembling from the aftershocks. Her pulling the strap-on out leaves me empty in a way that makes me whimper, but she's quick to press a kiss between my shoulder blades.

  Then I hear the soft sound of her unbuckling the harness, setting it aside on the nightstand like it's nothing compared to me. She rolls us to the side and immediately pulls me into her arms like she can't stand even a sliver of space between us. Her skin is still damp, warm against mine, and the way she breathes against my hair makes my whole body soften.

  I curl into her chest, my hand resting on the steady rise and fall there. She doesn't rush to speak. She just holds me, her palm sweeping down my back in long, slow strokes that make me feel cared for in a way I can't even put into words.

  Finally, she whispers against my temple, "Happy birthday, baby." Her voice is rough, tender.

  I bite back the tears pressing hot at the corners of my eyes. "You make me feel so loved, Taytum. More than I ever thought I would."

  Her hand drifts to my stomach, her thumb rubbing gentle circles over the swell there. She holds it like it belongs to her too, like it's part of us. "You are loved," she says, firm, certain. "By me. By us. Always."

  That simple touch, the way she thinks of my body and our baby even when we're wrecked and trembling, makes my chest ache in the best way. I curl into her, her arms wrapping tight around me, her hand still splayed warm and safe over my belly.

  "I love you," I whisper, the words raw, broken, but true in a way I can feel down to my bones.

  She presses her lips to my hair, voice low and hoarse. "I love you too, Dani."

  Then she kisses my temple, slow and lingering. "Always," she whispers, her voice husky, like she's as undone as I am.

  My eyes sting, and I don't even try to hide it. I press closer, tucking myself against her warmth.

  Her thumb draws lazy circles over my stomach, grounding me. "You are so loved. By me, forever."

  That breaks me. I tilt my chin up and kiss her, slow and soft, letting it linger. She deepens it just a little, not for heat, but for closeness, like she wants me to feel how much she means it. Nothing but tenderness, no heat, no rush, just us. Her hand stays over the curve of my belly, and mine rests on top of hers.

  When we pull apart, I rest my forehead against hers. "Thank you for loving me, for loving Kadence," I whisper.

  She smiles, her lips brushing mine. "Thank you for allowing me and thank you for loving me."

  We kiss again, longer this time. Her hand cradles my face, thumbs brushing under my eyes as if she knows I'm crying without even looking. And I let it happen. I let her see me like this, undone and safe all at once.

  When I finally settle back against her, she tucks the blanket around us and keeps her arm across me, her palm still anchored back over my stomach.

  The room is quiet, but it isn't empty. It feels full. Full of her warmth, full of what we're building, full of love so thick it wraps around me like a second skin. My eyes drift shut, my body melting into hers, and I think if I never move again, it will still be enough.

  Taytum's arm stays wrapped around me, her palm heavy and warm against my stomach. She presses a kiss to the back of my head and whispers, "You're so beautiful, baby."

  I hum, eyes half-closed, soaking it in.

  Her voice is low, almost like she doesn't want to keep me awake, but I can feel every word against my skin. "I love your laugh. The way you look at me. The way you make everything feel lighter just by being here."

  I shift closer, my nose brushing her collarbone. My chest aches in that good, overwhelming way, and I know she feels the wetness of another tear against her skin.

  "You're the strongest woman I've ever known," she goes on, her breath tickling my skin. "And you're mine. All mine. I don't mean that in a possessive way. Just that there will never be anyone else for me but you. Don't ever forget that."

  Her hand rubs slow circles over the curve of my belly. "I can't wait to see you progress through this pregnancy and be a mama again. You've been giving so much love to KK, and now this little one too. You amaze me, Dani."

  I let out a shaky exhale, clinging to her arm like I never want her to stop.

  "You're everything," she whispers softer now, her lips brushing the edge of my ear. "Everything I've ever wanted. I'll spend the rest of my life showing you that."

  Her words blur as sleep tugs at me, but her voice lingers, steady and warm, carrying me under. And the last thing I hear before the quiet takes me is her whispering, "I love you, baby."

  The heaviness in my body is impossible to fight. My muscles are loose, spent, but my mind keeps clinging to her voice, to the steady beat of her heart under my ear. Every breath she takes seems to drag me deeper into this cocoon we've made. I can still feel the faint echo of her inside me, a memory lingering low in my body, and instead of empty, it just makes me feel claimed, filled in a way no one else could ever touch.

  Her hand stays on my stomach, protective and sure, and I let my fingers lace with hers. The size difference makes me smile faintly, even with my eyes closed. She's younger than me, yet she feels bigger than the whole world sometimes. Like nothing could move her when she's holding on to me.

  I can feel her lips brushing the crown of my head, slow and lazy kisses, not because she's trying to start anything but because she can't stop herself from touching me. That alone makes my chest ache. All the years I spent doubting love, convinced it wasn't for me, and now this girl won't stop kissing my hair because she's so full of it she doesn't know what else to do with it.

  Sleep tugs harder, but I don't want to let go yet. I want to keep hearing her, keep memorizing the sound of her voice. She whispers again, softer now, like she knows I'm slipping. "I've got you, baby." The words press down over me like another blanket, heavy and safe.

  I manage a hum in reply, my lips brushing the warm skin of her chest. "Don't let me go." It's barely more than a breath, but I know she hears.

  "Never," she answers instantly, no hesitation, no doubt. And Taytum doesn't let go. She stays still, her chin resting lightly against the top of my head. I don't see it, but she's watching me, her thumb still drawing those absent circles on my belly, like she's tracing the future we're making together. Her chest rises and falls, her own breaths steady but quiet, as if she's afraid of disturbing me.

  My eyes faintly open as she moves her head just enough to look down at me, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "You're so amazing," she whispers into the dark. Her voice is so quiet it almost gets lost in the silence, but it doesn't matter. She's not saying it for me to hear. She's saying it because she can't keep it in.

  That's the last thing I register before my body fully gives in. My breathing evens out, my hand goes slack in hers, and the world fades until it's just the rhythm of her heart pulling me under.