Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox) novel Chapter 152

Kxox chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll be alright.”

And now it’s my turn.

I take a deep breath, trying to speak around the lump in my throat. My voice wavers, but I don’t look away from him.

“Well,” I say, “before I met you, I spent my entire life chasing things I thought I wanted. Boundless affection. Love. The kind of love that would make someone choose me over the entire world. Every time I thought I was close to getting it, it slipped away. And I had to start chasing all over again.”

I swallow, catching my breath.

“And then you came along. God, you were relentless.”

He grins but doesn’t speak.

“You didn’t wait for me to come around. You chased me like you already knew I was yours. And the truth is, I didn’t stand a chance. Not against these feelings that are constantly overwhelming. I couldn’t not fall in love with you, Knox.”

His thumb brushes mine again as I exhale, steadying myself.

“And I promise you, from this day and forever, I’ll stay. I’ll show up. I’ll keep choosing you, even on the hard days, just as you’ve chosen me. I’ll be honest with you, even when it’s not easy. I’ll call you out when you’re being a pain in my ass—”

He huffs out a small laugh.

“—and I’ll never let you go to bed without knowing how much I love you.”

I step in closer, and our foreheads almost touch.

“You’re it for me,” I whisper. “I really can’t wait to start a family with you and be called Mrs. Hartley.”

My lips tremble around the last line.

“I love you, Knox. And I’m not going anywhere.”

***

~~KNOX~~

***

I breathe in.

Then out.

Then in again.

I'm trying like hell to keep it together after hearing her vows. I won’t cry. I’m a grown-ass man. And it works. On the outside, at least. But inside? It’s a goddamn floodgate. She cracked something open in me, and now it’s all rushing out.

The officiant says a few more words. Something about unity, about the beauty of what we just promised. I’m barely hearing him now. Everything else but Sloane has gone into slow motion.

We exchange rings.

Her hand is trembling.

So is mine.

It makes it a little harder to slide the band on her finger, but I take my time. Guide it gently until it settles into place. Then she does mine, same shakiness, same carefulness.