Only Once

by Ashley Munoz

I wanted to be someone’s favorite. I would do anything to be someone’s first pick.

guy I went to college with. Cole walked in a second later, red-faced

“Because you’re not my second choice, Bexley Black. You’re not an afterthought. I made the worst mistake of my life letting you assume you were anything less than my everything. I love you. You’re it for me. Acting was never supposed to be the thing I loved…it was only ever you.”

“I want to love you fully, Bexley. I want to show you that you’re my first choice. You’re it for me.”

“Because this thing between us, it’s something that happens only once, and I’ve managed to almost lose it twice. I won’t risk it again.”

“Yes, Ryan Prince…that includes marriage. I want to be your wife. I want to start a life with you.”

“With you. Always with you…and maybe as a little league coach…and if Bella will have me, a dad who dresses up like a prince, so she can be my princess.”

“Rumors are swirling about your return to the big screen…can you tell us what your plans are?” Joan asked while toying with Bella’s curls. “You’re looking at it. I’m a family man, so they’ll come first. Everything else will forever be second.”