Page 326 of When a Soul Cries
I inhaled slowly, holding Roman's hands tighter.
“For most of my life, love scared me.”
His expression softened.
“I learned early that people could say they loved you and still hurt you. That family could fail you. That sometimes the people who were supposed to protect you were the same people you needed protection from.”
My voice cracked, but I didn't look away.
“So I learned how to leave. How to survive. How to depend on myself. I got so used to surviving that sometimes I didn't know how to do anything else.”
I glanced toward Halo.
“Then I became her mama, and she taught me a different kind of love. The kind that makes you keep going when you don't think you have anything left.”
Halo stared back at me from Sugga's arms, completely unaware that half the adults around her were crying.
I smiled through my tears before looking at Roman again.
“And then you came along and irritated the hell out of me.”
Laughter broke through the emotion.
Roman's mouth curved. “Sounds right.”
“But you stayed.”
The smile slowly left his face.
“When I pushed, you stayed. When I was embarrassed, you never made me feel small. When I had nothing, you never treated me like nothing.”
His eyes filled again.
“You loved me without making me owe you for it.”
I lifted one hand and touched his face.
“And you loved my daughter before either one of us knew what to call what was happening between us.”
Roman turned his face slightly into my palm.
“So I choose you too, Roman Devereaux. Not because you rescued me.”
I shook my head.
“You didn't.”
Something warm moved through his expression.
“I choose you because when I finally learned how to stand again, you stood beside me.”
A tear rolled down his cheek.
“I promise to let you love me even when my first instinct is to run. I promise to tell you when I'm scared instead of pretending I'm fine. I promise to build with you without losing myself.”
I looked toward the people standing around us.
“And I promise to love this loud, crazy family you brought with you.”
