I notice him glance at the closed journal on the table a couple of times, but he doesn’t say anything about it. Eventually, I decided to answer the question I know he wants to ask but isn’t going to because he knows it’s better for me to bring it up.

“I read some of it,” I admit as I stand on my tiptoes to put a can of beans on the top shelf.

“And how was it?” he casually asks as he rummages through the last bag of food.

I hop up onto the counter, letting my legs dangle over the side. “Intense.”

“How so?”

I shrug. “Her thoughts were just dark and I found out that she was pregnant with Dean when she decided to marry my dad.”

He positions himself in front of me and urges my legs open so he can step in between them. “Really?”

I nod, pressing my knees against his side. “And she was scared.”

“Of being a mom?” His hands clamp down on my thighs.

“And having a future.” Tears sting at my eyes. The words are striking a nerve. A painful, aching nerve, buried deep inside my heart. I massage my hand over my chest, trying to get the crushing pain out.

Sensing my panic, Micha quickly wraps his arms around me. The second I’m in his arms, I feel better, lighter. He hugs me as I breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. I bury my face in his chest and he supports my weight like he always does. Always.

“Are you really sure you want this for the rest of your life?” I mutter against his chest.

“More than anything, Ella May.” He kisses the top of my head. “I’ve known that since the day we met.”

The tears subside as I look up at him. “You’ve known you wanted the crazy girl next door to be your wife since you were four?”

He nods, holding my gaze. “Maybe not as a wife, but I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted you in my life forever.”

Tears make their way back up, this time not out of panic but from the overwhelming abundance of emotions I feel for him. God damn it, it’s so intense. Too intense. Feelings built over years and years of history, starting with the moment we first met.

“You were always there for me,” I say. “No matter how much of a pain in the ass I was.”

He smiles. “And even though you won’t ever admit it, you were there for me, too, every time I needed you.”

I want to disagree with him, but I don’t because it’d ruin the moment. “Just you and me against the world,” I whisper as tears drip from my eyes and down my cheeks.

He fixes a finger underneath my chin, slants my head back, and leans in to kiss me. “Always and forever.”

Chapter 5

Micha