“God, Della…” He half turned in the bed so he was facing her, his big, broad shoulders and wide chest filling her peripheral vision. “You seriously think I care about whether the light’s on or not?” His eyes raked her face, pleading and earnest. “If you need it, then you need it. Hell, if you need the sun in the room to sleep at night, I’ll pluck it out of the sky for you and hang it over there in the corner.”

Her breath stuck in her throat at his words, at their absolute sincerity. To have a guy offer to do something like that? Her chest suddenly felt way too tight. He was too much. Each word, each look, each little thing he did for her were like tiny arrows to her heart.

“It’s just a stupid psychological crutch,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “But I can’t seem to let it go.”

He raised his hand again, hesitating for a moment as if waiting for her to shrink back. When she didn’t, he gently cupped her cheek. “It’s not stupid. And everyone needs a crutch sometimes.”

Della doubted Tucker ever had. “But what if I need it forever?” On her good days—which was most days, now—Della was okay with the thought that she might always need the light on. On her bad days, it felt like the ultimate failure.

“Some people do need them forever. And that’s okay, too.” He shrugged. “But if you’re worried about me sleeping with the light on? Then don’t. I sleep like a rock, and even if I didn’t, I would still be okay with the light situation. And—” He paused for a moment, his eyes roaming over her face like he was trying to commit it to memory. “Any man worth his salt will be, too.”

Tears burned at the back of Della’s eyes. Selena had assured her that any potential partners would understand, but hearing it from Tucker, knowing that he was okay with it, had given her hope for the future.

Not that she wanted any other man.

His thumb brushed along her cheekbone. “Can I please stay the night?” he asked, his voice a low murmur.

Della fell into the intense whiskey of his gaze. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep with Tucker beside her, to lie all night next to the man she loved. But she shouldn’t. Now more than ever, she should be keeping an emotional distance. If he stayed tonight, he’d stay every night, and that would only make the goodbye harder.