“I stay here with you. Even after what you did,” I admit to him.
“I don’t think that makes you crazy. It means that you love me.”
“But love isn’t enough for everyone, especially after what you did,” I tell him. He keeps massaging my shoulders, and I melt into him.
“I did what I did for you, because of you. He could have killed you, and where would that have left me?”
“You know we have laws for things like that. The police could have handled him,” I remind him.
“The police don’t do shit. If they did, I wouldn’t be standing here today.” Maybe he’s right. He should have been arrested for what he did. In fact, I thought he would be. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?”
“What you want for Christmas,” he suggests.
“I don’t need anything.”
“I didn’t ask that. I said what you want, not what you need.”
“I’m happy, Devon. That isn’t something I’ve had a lot of. So with that being said, that’s all I need.”
“I make you happy?” he asks, coming to stand next to me. I look up at him and nod my head.
“You do, and that scares me.”
“Why?”
“You could get tired of me. You could find someone new. I don’t know, I’m not good at relationships,” I tell him.
“I’m not going anywhere, Caydence. I’m here, and I’ll always be here. You have nothing to worry about where I’m concerned.”
“What if someone, you know, finds the body?” I can’t help the worry that lingers in my mind.
Devon chuckles and shakes his head.
“Trust me. No one is going to find it,” he assures calmly.
“How do you know that?”
“Because I know, and there’s literally nothing left for them to find.”
“I don’t even want to know.” I raise my hand to stop him from going further. He grabs my hand and pulls me out of my seat so I’m standing in front of him.
“Everything is fine. When I say you have nothing to worry about, I mean it.” Then he leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his chest, just listening to his heartbeat.
I don’t think I’ll ever understand why I can’t pull myself away from him, even after what I’ve seen him do.
“Stop,” he orders, pressing his lips to the top of my head.
“Stop what?”
“Overthinking it. You’re tense,” he adds.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. We’re happy, right? That’s what’s important.”
“Are we going to your dad’s for Christmas?” I ask, changing the subject.
“No. He won’t be in town, and I know you weren’t that comfortable there to begin with.”
“That’s your family, though,” I tell him.
“You’re my family now, Caydence.”