“Wait!” I grabbed her arm before she could make it even a step away fromme.
“Dammit! I told you to let me fucking leave, Ax. This is all too much. It’s over and done with—you made sure of that a month ago.” She tried to yank her arm back, but my grip tightened and I spun her to look into my pleadingeyes.
“Maybe I’m foolish, but being in love is not a definite thing in this world. You have to choose to fall in love and make that person fall in love with you every day.” I spit out the words as quickly as I could. I hadn’t admitted that I loved her since we were kids, but it was something that had never truly left me. I had loved Cassidy Lewis since I was nineteen, and I was going to until my dying day. Standing there in the middle of a dress shop with her wearing white seemed so right. I knew she was supposed to be in that dress, being loved by me—not by the prick who had put that ring on her finger. It should have been me allalong.
With a sigh, she leaned back on her heels. “What is this, Ryan?” I could tell she was trying to calm down and not be pissed. “This is all too little too late.” Her eyes dropped to my fingers wrapped around her forearm before she continued, “Ryan Axston, you had your chance ten years ago, and then again a month ago. Four weeks before my wedding day is not the fucking time to be professing your love for me. Do you know how fucked up this entire situationis?”
“Look, Cassidy, I know you feel it. I see it right now in how you’re looking at me. You cannot tell me you have ever looked at him like that or felt one-tenth of the feelings you are feeling right now. There’s passion here. I don’t make you feel the way I do because I’m amazing at saying things or an incredible guy—we both know I’m a complete fuck-up, but we’re supposed to be together, Cass. Let me prove it to you. Let me show you that I can make you feel this way every day. I’ll make you feel this way because every morning I’ll assume you forgot in your slumber. I will spend my day making sure you know you’re loved and that you matter to me, deeply and truly. I will not say these things so you fall more in love, I will say these things to make you fall in love for the first time every time. Cass, just let me prove it to you. Give me the chance I missed out on all those years ago. Leave whatever the fuck his name is and just be withme.”
Cassidy grabbed the sides of my cut, leaned up, and pressed her lips to mine. Without a second thought, I scooped her into my arms and retreated into the dressing room. I threw her against the wall and held herthere.
“Is that a yes,Cass?”
I searched her watering eyes as she nodded. “Yes, Ryan. Fuck it. I might be crazy, but yes, I will be withyou.”
I kissed down her neck and jaw as her fingertip fumbled with my belt. “Are you sure you’re all right with this?” I breathed into the nape of herneck.
“Ryan, this would be a great time for you to shut the fuck up and just do it because if you make me question this, I might change mymind.”
Without another word, I let my pants fall to the floor, pulled up her dress, and wrapped her legs around my waist. It had been ten years since I had felt so much desire to be with someone, ten years since I had lost my virginity to Cassidy in the back of that Bronco. I’d never thought a moment could top that, but there I was holding her trembling body in a dressing room, ripping the lace of a dress she’d never wear again, claiming her as mine, once and forall.
I bit down hard on her shoulder as I let myself fill her. She buried her mouth in my chest to muffle her moans as I pushed her harder and harder against the wall. I was a goner and within minutes, I was pulsing and coming deep inside her cunt as her walls collapsed aroundme.
“Ryan, I love you,” she as she panted. Then she kissed me deeply onceagain.
I set her down, making sure she was steady in her white heels. “I love you so much, Cassidy. I am so sorry it took me this long to finally admitit.”
She unzipped the dress, starting to change back into her t-shirt andjeans.
“I’m just glad I can still return the dress,” she teased, balling it up in the corner of the fittingroom.