“Shit,” he said, panting and frustrated. “I got rid of them.”“What? All of them?” I breathed.“I thought you didn’t…if I wasn’t with you, I wasn’t going to need them.”

“I said I wasn’t going to fight with you about Jared anymore, I never said I wasn’t going to fight for you.”

“My brothers nodded their heads in unison. All of them but me. It wasn’t okay. I didn’t want her to leave. I didn’t care if Jesus wanted her or not. She was my mommy. He could take an old mommy. One that didn’t have little boys to take care of.”

“This is it,” he said with a sigh.“What?”“The moment. When I watch you sleeping…that peace on your face? This is it. I haven’t had it since before my mom died, but I can feel it again.” He took another deep breath and pulled me closer. “I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”

“I knew the second I met youthat there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn’t something about you at all. It was just you.”

“I’m different. I don’t know what happened to me in Vegas. That wasn’t me. I was thinking about everything we could buy with that money, and that was all I was thinking about. I didn’t see how much it hurt you for me to want to take you back there, but deep down, I think I knew. I deserved for you to leave me. I deserved all the sleep I lost and the pain I’ve felt. I needed all that to realize how much I need you, and what I’m willing to do to keep you in my life.”

“I missed a fight tonight,” he said. “Adam called. I didn’t go. ”“Why?” I said, turning to face him.“I wanted to make sure you got home.”