Page 47 of Three Months Yesterday

“To meet me here. Especially not⁠—”

“Madison.”

“On her first day. Let alone have her⁠—”

Given what I was doing ten minutes ago, my next move isn’t the smartest, but it’s the first thing that comes to mind to get Madison to stop talking.

Pulling her into me, my lips land on hers in a hard kiss. It’s nothing like the kiss last night and yet it’s familiar, like we’ve been doing this dance for years.

Madison’s shock quickly morphs into something else as she rises to her toes and grips my sweatshirt, her body melting into mine. The way our body’s fit together is like we were made for each other.

The thought jerks me back to reality, and I pull back from the kiss, thankful it takes Madison a few seconds to open her eyes.

It’s an odd sensation, the pride at knowing my kiss affected her so much mixed with the anxiety that I might be screwing this up royally.

Maybe it’s another mistake, but I don’t pull away. Keeping her tucked close to me, I gently push a piece of hair behind her ear, cupping her cheek to hold her attention.

“Sorry,” I whisper. “You wouldn’t stop talking and I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Uh-huh,” she murmurs, her glassy eyes bouncing between mine, and I don’t try to stop the small smile, pride winning out in the emotional boxing match happening in my head.

The glazed look in her eyes slowly morphs to unease and I have no idea what’s worrying her more—the kiss or the random woman showing up in the cottage. I don’t want her to be anxious about either, but the truth is I don’t know what these kisses mean, and I don’t know if that’s something for either of us to be thinking about right now.

Leaving my hand where it is, I gently stroke my thumb across the smooth skin of her cheekbone. “Please don’t stress about what just happened.”

Madison’s body goes stiff but she melts into the touch on her cheek, her eyes studying mine. There’s part of me that wants to hide everything I’m feeling behind my practiced facade, but a bigger part of me can’t fathom hiding anything from this woman, not when she’s been so open with me.

“The kiss or Holly?” Madison’s words are quiet, a slight hitch to them, and it’s comforting knowing she’s struggling just as much as I am.

“Both.”

I don’t know what the kisses mean for this thing between us, but there’s nothing but truth in my words. None of the things that have happened this morning are worth her stress—especially when she already has so much on her plate.

My hand falls from her cheek as her gaze shifts from my face to my chest, her fingers twisting in the strings from my sweatshirt. From my angle I can’t see her eyes, but I can imagine the wheels are churning, thinking through if it’s possible to let everything about this morning go.

If her thoughts are anything like mine, it’s not something that will come easily.

I can’t stop myself. My hands slip under the hem of her sweater meeting the exposed skin on her back.

“Beckett,” she whispers. “What does it…” She doesn’t finish the question, and I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t know how to or if it’s because she’s afraid of the answer.

Pulling her a little closer, my thumbs caress her sides. “Do we have to define it right now?”

Maybe that’s not a fair question, but it’s the only thing I have right now. I don’t know what any of this means—the kisses, my feelings, the fact I’ve never been more inspired than the last week.

I know it’s stupid and a risk I’m not sure I’m ready to make, but I finally take Ryan’s advice and follow my heart, letting life take the lead instead of my brain.

“Can we just see where this goes?”

Madison’s eyes fall shut and her head falls against my chest while my heart plummets to my stomach. I want to take my words back, but I have no idea what I would say instead.

I’m not in any place to figure out what my future looks like past the next three months and I won’t make promises I can’t keep. I’ve never been that person, even in my darkest moments, and I won’t be that person now.

Before I can go down the rabbit hole, Madison’s grip on my sweatshirt tightens and she tilts her head back to meet my gaze. “Seeing where this goes sounds like a good idea.”

“Yeah?” I release on a breath, everything around me disappearing except for the woman in my arms.

“Yeah.” It’s small and slow, but the smile that forms on her lips might just be the best sight I’ve seen in a long time.