He looked down at her. “ ‘Why’ what?”

“Why did you forgive me for not telling you about Dixon? Or for dismissing your concerns about him in the first place?”

He sighed. “Because, I understand what you felt you had to do.”

She stopped walking, removing her arm from his waist and intertwining her arms around his neck.

“You’re amazing, you know that right?”

“That’s what they tell me.” He teased.

She laughed lightly, looking down at their feet. “I’m serious.”

“Syd, you want to know why I forgave you? The real reason? I’ll tell you why. Because I know, that without even thinking about it, I would have done the same thing for you, to protect you. I can’t blame you for doing something I would have done too.”

She didn’t understand how he could care for her so much, how he could love her so much.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Vaughn.”

“Same here, Syd… there is one more thing.”

“What?”

He leaned in close to her ear.

“I love you.” He whispered. “So much.”

She leaned back to look into his eyes again.

I love you, too.” She said, before leaning in to kiss him softly.

“So much.”

END