Landon & Shay – Part Two: (The L&S Duet Book 2)

“There doesn’t have to be passion. This isn’t a movie. It’s real life.”

“Real life should be better than the movies.”

“Everybody has an option, Shannon Sofia,” Mima said, shaking her head. “You wear your hair long; they’ll tell you to cut it. You wear it short; they’ll tell you to grow it out. You lose weight; they’ll tell you you’re too skinny, yet if you gain weight, they’ll call you fat. Trust me when I say, there are no happily ever afters when you’re living your life based on others’ opinions. Also, double-check your friendships and make sure they’re coming from a genuine place. Someone can call you their friend yet wish evilness upon you in quiet. I’d be careful with that Tracey girl. I can tell she has jealous tendencies. The older you get, the more you’ll realize that just because a friendship has history, it doesn’t mean it has longevity.”

This time’s forever. I couldn’t imagine spending another day without you by my side. I love you, Shay. More than words, I love you, and I am going to spend the rest of my life making up for all the memories we missed out on creating. This,” he said, pulling me in closer to his chest. “You, me, and us. This is only the beginning of our beautiful story, and I cannot wait to see what else we write against our pages.”

“I know. I know how much it scares you, because it scares me, too. I’m terrified that I’m going to mess this up. I’m terrified that I’m going to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me due to my slips into depression, or my struggles with sometimes making mistakes. The idea of losing you all over again is too much for me, though. We can be scared, but still stay. We can be afraid, and still honor our love. Still fight for this, because this is it, Shay. There’s never going to be anything or anyone else for you. You’re my story. You’re my final page. You’re my final word.”

“Well, at least it’s me speaking to you. There’s over three thousand pieces of paper. Three thousand letters that I’d written to you. Three thousand pages of my love for you.”

“Sé valiente. Sé fuerte. Sé amable. Y quédate.”

You never stopped writing her in those notebooks, Landon. You have years of your feelings written down for her to receive. Now’s the time to pull those out and give them to her. She needs to see those words more than ever.

He undressed my body as I undressed his, and we lay naked and exposed to one another. Our truths displayed with every touch we shared.

I felt it. I felt his warmth, his promises, and his love, and I hoped to the heavens above that he felt mine, too.

“More than words, I love you. I tried to bury it. I tried to delete it from my heart, but that heart? It still beats for you. It always has, and it always will.”