He sat up and took her hands. "There's a lot we have to figure out. You see me as Jay, but the world will see me as Seth. He has a family."
"Not much of a family. They were never there for him. They aren't like your family." She cupped his cheeks. "You have to tell your family that you're still with us. You have to."
"Hon, it's not as easy as that."
"It is that easy. They're grieving for you. I know what that's like, and you can't leave them that way."
"They're hurting but it will get better in time. How do you think they will handle the fact that I took someone else's life?"
"You know how strong they are. Anything is better than thinking they've lost you."
"I'm not so sure about that. They aren't even______."
"Don't even think about saying that. You saw your funeral through my eyes. You saw how broken they were."
He let her feel his fear. Fear that they would look at him differently.
"Trust me, Jay. They have a right to know and so does my mom. No one else just them."
"Fine, but if they hate me, then I'm taking their memory of it away and you're officially dating Seth. They will think you recovered faster than anyone in the world's history."
"If they don't accept you, then we won't even stick around. I have a nice RV just waiting for us."
He grimaced. "Don't remind me, and we are sticking around at least long enough to get you graduated. I promised your mom and I aim to keep my promise."
She smiled and snuggled back in his arms. "You get to graduate too. Seth is in honor classes."
Fuck.
After distaste, came a flash of guilt, she looked back at him. "Tell me you love me and that you will not let guilt eat you alive. He didn't just agree to do this, he wanted to do it. His life isn't what he wanted it to be."
"Because of me. I took his girl then I took over his life."
"I was always yours. His girl was a different life." She put her hand over his heart. "This life is crazy and messed up. You know that better than anyone. Mia should be here with us and then Seth would be okay. You should have never been hurt like you were when you were younger, and we would have always been together."
"If life wasn't crazy and messed up, then the two of us would have never met."
"And in your world the planet would die and in mine I'd only live for a few more years. Do you remember what happened to Seth in that life? He didn't handle my death well and started drinking. He became a worse parent than even his parents are. I'm glad that never happens. I'm glad you came."
"Me too."
"So, no guilt. We are doing the best we can in a fucked-up world."
He smirked. "I've corrupted you."
She smiled back at him. "You have. I know you made Seth a promise to take care of me and to make me happy, so keep that promise and let the guilt go."
"I will. I'm smart enough to not waste my second chance. I have to take care of this one because my next option was to get reborn and find you again in eighteen years. I bet you'll be a hot older chick."
"Knowing you would come back to me, I would have waited for you, but I don't think I'd be the same Paisley you love. Eighteen years without you.... my life was a living nightmare without you, Jay."
Mine too. He brushed her lips with his thumb. "I made Seth a promise to take care of you, but I also made myself a promise. I won't let his sacrifice be in vain. I will stop my people from taking over. I will save this planet."
"If anyone can, it's you, and I'll be right there helping you."
"You once told me that if you were like me, that you would help people and that's what I want to do. I want to be worthy of this second chance, I want to be worthy of you. I just don't know how to do that and give you the life you deserve."
"I deserve you. I want you. I want to help you save the world."
"It will be dangerous. Right now, no one knows I'm alive but when they find out, there will be people after me. I killed one of the presidents. Every jumper they have will look for me. Look for my brothers."
"Then we will be smarter. You told me only the smartest survives where you come from, so we'll be the smartest."
"No more playing by their rules. No more of me hating to differ from everyone else. If we are going to do this, then I need to be at my best. Using all of my abilities, holding back nothing."
She smiled and pushed him back, so she could lean down over him. "I'm with you all the way, except for the part where we start right away. No way we are leaving this room for at least three or four days and we're in Florida and you've never seen the ocean."
"Seth has, so that's kind of like_____."
"Not the same thing."
He sighed. "Don't you miss our lives not being crazy?"
"When was that?"
He smirked. "True."
"Now get those brothers back out of your head. We have a lot of loving to make up for."
He lost his grin. "Those three don't understand boundaries and don't understand how I could rather be with you. I can't wait for them to have girls of their own."
"I'll try to help with that." She brightened. "Mack is still hanging around. Which one of them would like her?"
"She'd chew them up and spit them out. Which sounds quite entertaining, by the way."
"I knew you would think so."
His heart warmed at the sound of her laughter, so she kissed him again.
"You're right. Staying in bed is the much better plan."
He grinned. "That was your plan and I'm not hating it."
"Your plan, my plan, same thing."
"I just want to deal with that creep stalking you and your bodyguard then______."
"How about you never bring him up again and you deal with me?"
"God, I love you." His hands shaking again, he cupped her face. "Have I told you how insane and perfect you are for me?"