JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<ul><li class="completed"><a href="#">I want the icon to stay on the same line as this last <strong>word</strong></a></li></ul>

CSS

.completed {
    width:200px;
}
ul li.completed a:before {
     background:transparent url(data:image/png;base64,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 ) no-repeat; 
    content: '';
    display:inline-block;
    width: 24px;
    height: 16px;
    float:right;
}