Bared Souls - Ellie Wade Page 0,96
goodness to my world. I get this feeling when we’re together, and I have from the very first moment I saw you in that restaurant. It’s like I can finally breathe when you’re near. Almost like I’m not fully myself until I’m with you. Without you, my soul’s ripped wide open—bare, vulnerable, and hurting. I’m incomplete and empty. Your soul restores mine, threading through the gaps until we’re one, protected by love. I feel that our love is once in a lifetime, and I want to promise you forever. Whether we get married tomorrow or in ten years, you’re it for me. I want to wake up every day, knowing that you’re mine and I’m yours for always. Alma, my soul, will you marry me?”
Tears wet my face, and my heart beats forcefully within my chest. I inhale deeply, catching my breath. It’s fast and a little scary, but everything Leo said is true. He’s my person. He’s the one, and part of me—despite everything we’ve been through—has always known that.
“Yes,” I choke out. “Yes, I will.”
Leo gifts me with the biggest, most stunning smile I’ve ever seen, and in this moment, I’m a hundred percent certain that this is right. He slides the large diamond on my ring finger. The band is exquisite. Platinum vines thread around my finger, ending in an incredible design that cradles the diamond, as if it were a flower. It’s whimsical, unique, and amazing.
“It’s perfect,” I say through my tears.
Leo stands, and as if he can’t wait another minute, he crashes his lips against mine. Our lips move against one another, and our tongues dance in a tango created just for us. My fingers slide into his short hair, pulling him closer. He wraps me in his arms, holding me against him.
“Room service later?” he whispers against my lips.
“Sounds good.” I reach for the button of his pants as he unzips the back of my dress.
We make quick work of removing all articles of clothing and climb into bed. Leo hovers above, encasing me between his muscled arms. His length rubs along my entrance, and he looks to me in question.
He was tested for all STDs during rehab, and as for pregnancy, there’s no more need for condoms.
His fingers thread through mine above my head, and I nod, granting him permission. He slides into me, and we both release a cry into the lust-filled space. He drops his forehead to my shoulder, breathing heavily as he starts to move. Having him inside of me with nothing between us is intoxicating, and I never want it any other way. And now that he’s officially my forever, I never will.
FORTY-FIVE
Alma
If my life were a movie, the three years following my engagement to Leo would be a series of short video clips played to a romantic song, highlighting our amazing time together. These images would show a fairy-tale life, the kind that only happens in romance movies.
Upon returning from Mackinac Island with stunning bling on my hand, I officially moved in with Leo. I kept my scholarship-allotted dorm room each year, just in case, though I never needed it. The practical side of me knew to maintain that safety net. I’d worked too hard to potentially find myself homeless.
Leo finished his business degree the year following our engagement, and two years later, I completed my teaching degree with magna cum laude honors.
We remained close with Amos, Quinn, Ethan, and Ollie and hosted dinners and game nights often. Neither of us felt the need to attend college parties anymore. Truth be told, it was never my style, and now that Quinn had a house full of girls to party with, I didn’t feel bad about my stay-at-home life. Leo avoided the parties for obvious reasons. He said that they only ever served one function for him—to escape and forget—but now that he was with me, he didn’t want to do either.
We volunteered often, helping in the community frequently. I tutored kids, and Leo took in every opportunity to help others where he could, trying to find his passion in life. We both agreed that working for his father and brother wasn’t the right or healthy path.
We visit my parents a couple times every year—when they can be pinned down. I can’t say everything is great between us. I’ve come to realize that they’ll never change, and our relationship will always be what it is. But I still try and show up for our uncomfortable get-togethers. They are my