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“What?” Katie turned over in his arms. “Why?”
“Because the club takes me away from you six nights a week.” He pulled her up on his chest until their noses met. And their lips touched. “One night with you isn’t nearly enough.”
“No?”
“No.” His hands held her face and his thumbs skimmed her cheeks. “I want every night.”
Warm lips caressed hers, gently coaxing her to open, and his tongue slipped inside. Katie wanted the same thing. More time together. Just like this. Soon, the holidays would be over. She’d start the new semester, juggling Beanie’s and classes. Between his schedule and hers, they’d only have stolen moments and Sundays. Brendan was right. It wasn’t enough.
Katie felt it all too keenly the next morning when he took her home and she kissed him goodbye. She didn’t want to. Not that she wouldn’t see him later. Brendan would stop in for coffee on his way to the club like he always did, but being in love is like an addiction, and he was her drug. She wanted…more.
Kelly had her AirPods in, humming along to whatever song she was listening to, as she sat at a table close to the counter doing paperwork. It was annoying. Leo had a couple days off now that she was back, so it was just her and Kelly here today. Katie glanced over at the clock.
Ugh.
It hadn’t moved much since the last time she looked at it. That was another thing. Why did minutes seem to fly by when they were together, yet dragged when they were apart? Katie figured First Avenue would be bustling the Monday after Christmas with the sales and all—she’d at least be occupied then. She figured wrong.
“Shit, you’ve got it bad.”
“Got what?”
No longer humming, Kelly looked at her from the table and smirked. “Lovesickness. Whatever you want to call it.” She shook her head. “Kim called me and told me about the shit you said before you even left the driveway.”
Katie rolled her eyes in response. “Why am I not surprised? I don’t care what Aunt Kim…”
“Shut up, KK.” Kelly gathered her papers from the table. “Everyone liked him—even if we all think you’re too young.”
“Too young for what, Kelly?”
Her aunt wouldn’t meet her gaze. She kept her eyes cast down to the paperwork in her hands and shook her head. “Just…too young.”
“Can I ask you something?”
That got her to look up. “You can ask me anything, tell me anything. You know that.”
“Would you think that if I was still with Cam?”
Crickets.
Of course not.
“That’s what I thought.”
Why the fuck did it matter how young she was, or how old Brendan was, or how many years separated them? She loved him and he loved her, and nothing else mattered. If Kelly, or her parents, or her aunts, or anyone else had a problem with it, it was their problem. Not hers. Not Brendan’s.
“Katie, it’s just…never mind.” She released a loud exhale, shaking her head.
“No. What?”
Kelly came behind the counter. “Remember what I said about making a mistake you might regret?”
Katie tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes flicking to her aunt. “Yeah, they can last a lifetime.”
“Well, for your sake…” Kelly smoothed her just-tucked hair. “…I’m going to hope Brendan doesn’t turn out to be one of those.”
He won’t.
She would never regret him. Not ever. He was her forever.
