Page 35 of You Met Me There

I place the phone beside the sink as I apply mascara and minimal blush to my cheekbones. I’m almost done when my phone chimes.

Emma: Ooooh what a great way for you to start the day.

I cover my mouth as I chuckle, hoping to not wake Luke in the other room.

Me: It isn’t like that. Not right now anyway. But he’s here, and I’m happy about it.

Emma: That’s great. I’m happy for you. I think you needed him, even when you didn’t want to need him.

Why is my best friend always right?

When I open the bathroom door—hair and makeup complete, and dressed in fresh clothes for the day—I find Luke sitting up in bed with his laptop open. His eyes bounce over to me from across the room, and a smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. He’s bare chested. His blue dress shirt lies discarded in a crumpled heap on the floor beside the pair of beige pants he wore yesterday.

“Good morning,” he says, pushing the laptop away and tossing the blanket off his bare legs.

A shy smile cracks across my face. “Good morning … Did the shower wake you?”

“No.” He smiles up at me, and my heart skips a beat.

I step away from the safety of the bathroom. “I’m sorry if you didn’t sleep well.”

He gets out of bed and has me in his arms before I even realize he’s moved. He’s in nothing but boxer briefs, which makes me feel far too overdressed in a yellow sundress that reaches my ankles and hangs off my shoulders.

“I slept fine.” He tucks my head under his chin, and I wrap my arms around his back. His smooth bare skin is hot against my fingers.

“Things will be better from now on,” he says. “I want us to talk openly with each other about our feelings. We won’t hold anything back. Okay? And we’ll figure out together how to balance what we both want. I’ll give a little, you’ll give a little. I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, but I want this. I want us. That’s why I’m here.” He squeezes me a little tighter, and I nod into his firm chest. His lips meet my forehead. “I love you,” he whispers over my skin.

“I love you, too.” And I mean it. I’ve always loved him.

“I’m sorry I never truly listened to you when you told me what you needed. I didn’t know how to discuss it properly. I just … got scared every time. So I gave you a lame excuse for not wanting kids. It’s not a good excuse, though, for being a bad husband.”

I look up into his eyes and down to his lips, noticing—not for the first time—the shadow his newly grown scruff casts over his skin. The moment my eyes fall on his lips, he rests a finger under my chin and lifts it, bringing my gaze back to his. Luke’s mouth lowers to mine and suddenly I’m in a world of warmth and sunshine and blazing stars orbiting around nothing but us, this moment, this love. Unlike the unrelenting tug of the moon, Luke grounds me.

And I’m reminded of every reason I love him. His teeth pull on my lower lip, and his tongue searches for mine in a dance as I give in to him, unable to resist what my heart still wants.

This kind of love—the one that’s forgiving, gracious, and kind—is the love I want. It’s the kind we were all meant to find.

I pull away from the kiss, panting for air, my lips swollen and cheeks red. Luke’s firm chest rises and falls like mine, and his heart races under my hand as I rest it between us. He grazes his nose against my jaw, which sends tingly nerves shooting through my arms. I’ll never tire of his touch.

“What are your plans for today?” he whispers into my ear.

I clear my throat, afraid my hoarse voice will give away how much I want him. “Breakfast with my family. You’re invited, of course. It’s at nine.”

He raises his head to check the time on the clock across the room, and he swears under his breath. “I’ll be ready in two minutes.” He kisses my cheek, lets me go, and strides into the bathroom. The sound of the shower fills the room.

In a daze, I glance at the clock. It reads 8:30. We can make it on time, but we’ll be cutting it close.

We step through the doorway hand in hand, my dress flowing around my legs as the breeze carries us in. Today the sky is a cloudless baby blue, and the sunshine makes me squint while I adjust to the indoor lighting as we enter Juliet’s house. Her dog runs up to us, tail wagging, and I reach out to pet his soft white ears.

Levi and Archie stand in the living room next to a tower made of colorful blocks—it’s as tall as Archie is, and their excited squeals make my heart giddy, easing my anxiety a fraction.

“Hey, buddy,” Luke says playfully, bending to pet the dog.

“That’s Dax,” Cam explains , closing the door behind us. “Jules has had him since before we got married, so he’s getting up in years. But he still thinks he’s a pup. I kept him upstairs last night because he can get a little hyper.” Dax’s tail wags more quickly when he hears his name, and he licks my hand. I bend to give him a good scratch under his hairy chin.

Luke and I are led to the kitchen where Mom and Dad sit at the counter talking to Juliet as she washes dishes in the sink. When my parents see us, their faces light up.

Mom jumps down from her stool. Her blonde hair is gray at the roots, and today she wears it pulled back in a clip. “I’m so glad you two could come over again this morning.” She gives me a tight hug and rubs my back before letting go. “I just want to get as much time with you as possible while you’re here.”