Page 79 of Deadly Forever

“I … don’t make fun of me,” Mandy chided.

“I’m not making fun of you,” James countered. “I really want to know. What other perfect moments have we had?”

Mandy shrugged. “The first time you told me that you loved me.”

James pursed his lips. “That was a rough day. You were almost killed.”

“And yet you fixed everything when you told me you loved me. Those were the words I wanted most to hear from you and I wasn’t sure you could ever feel that way about me.”

“Give me another one,” James said, kissing the tip of Mandy’s nose. “What else was a perfect moment? How about when I proposed?”

“Not the moment you proposed,” Mandy clarified. “I was worried at that exact moment because I thought you were only doing it because you wanted to make me feel safe after everything that happened. The perfect moment came when you told me you had the ring for months. That’s when I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“That you really loved me.”

James gripped her tighter. “I loved you before then.”

“I know that, but in the back of my mind I always thought you were going to come to your senses and decide you didn’t love me at some point,” Mandy admitted. “It took me a while to believe what you were telling me.”

“Because I’m a liar?”

“Because I wanted it so badly.”

“Oh, my baby,” James muttered, kissing her cheek. “You’re so much work. I wish you could take things on faith sometimes.”

“I do now.”

“You do better now,” James clarified. “You still have moments of insecurity. I don’t think It’s possible to change that. That’s one of my biggest regrets. I caused that when I walked out of your apartment that night after our first time together. If I could take anything back, it would be that.”

Mandy lifted an eyebrow, her interest piqued. “What else would you take back?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you could take things back, what would they be?”

“Oh, I’m not playing this game,” James said, shaking his head. “That’s got ‘trap’ written all over it.”

Mandy giggled at his serious expression. “It’s not meant to be a trap. It’s meant to be a … bonding exercise.”

“If we were any more bonded we would be fused at the groin,” James said.

“Please?”

James growled. “Fine,” he conceded. “If you want to play this game, we’ll play this game. I don’t want to hear any complaining after, though.”

“I won’t complain,” Mandy said. “I’m going to play, too. It will be a back and forth.”

James still wasn’t convinced, but it was her prom. There as no way he would deny her. “Okay, baby. I’ve already given you one. I would never leave that first night. It’s your turn. Go.”

Mandy smiled indulgently. “I wouldn’t hit you that day at the funeral,” she said quickly. “That was wrong and you’ll never know how sorry I am. I’m not sorry about slapping you after you walked out on me while I was sleeping that first night, but I’ll be forever sorry about slapping you that day at Heidi’s funeral.”

“Oh, baby, don’t be so hard on yourself,” James said. “You were upset that day. I didn’t take it personally.”

“It was still wrong. I’m very sorry.”

“Okay,” James said, refusing to let her guilt derail their evening. “You can make it up to me when we have prom sex later.”