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“Hey.”
I almost jump out of my skin at the sound of his voice. He’s now standing right next to me, leaning against the van.
“Shit.” I clutch my chest. “You move way too quietly for someone your size.”
He chuckles. “Again, I’m very concerned about your survival skills.”
I glare at him, even if I know he’s exactly where I want him—right beside me. I just don’t know for how long or why.
“You came to say goodbye?”
He shrugs. “No—well—maybe sort of, just not to you. Not again.”
I bury my hands in my hoodie pocket and arch a brow at him. “You know I might not be good with deadlines, but you’re still not good with words.”
“Maybe that’s why we’re supposed to be together, to make each other whole.”
“You came here to remind me we’re still hopelessly broken without the other? That I shouldn’t leave?”
He steps toward me and slips his hands into my pocket, holding mine. My breath hitches as I breathe him in and get another hit of that soothing scent. “The only thing I’m saying goodbye to is this place.”
I look into his eyes, as blue as the lake behind us, and see a glimmer of hope. He tips his chin toward the overlook, and I follow his gaze. There’s a backpack and a beat-up duffel bag propped against the log bench, and I feel all the air sucked out of my lungs. I try to process what I’m seeing when he starts talking.
“I’ve hated myself every day for the last ten years for telling you to leave. I’m tired of living like that. I’m done with punishing myself. I’m coming with you so I can spend the rest of my life loving you—if you’ll let me.”
“You want to come with me?” I stare back into those eyes and already see the answer. The corner of his lips twitch into a smile, and one of those dimples pop. The next time he does that, I want to lick them.
“Well, I’m also sort of fired, and I think I also got evicted.”
“Wait, what?” I quirk a brow.
“It’s a long story—one I’m hoping I can tell you on the road, by your side, because that’s the only place I want to be. But I do need to ask… You think you have room on your payroll for an in-van mechanic? I’ve heard these things can be a bit temperamental.”
“Hmm. Depends. Do you have any experience with camera lighting or video editing?”
“Not exactly.” He grins back at me. “But I like to learn on the job, and I’m already your biggest fan.”
My heart fills with warmth and hope in a way I’ve never felt. I might have been making a cruel joke, but the truth was there—he makes me feel whole. I tap a finger to my lips, pretending to consider this offer when I’ve already made up my mind.
“You’re serious? You know that van is awfully cramped. There’s not a lot of room back there. It’s going to be a tight squeeze. I’m speaking from experience.”
He brushes away a tear from my cheek, and I lean into his touch.
“Yes, Bunny. I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I’m sure about this one. Neither of us knows what’s next in life, and I’m fine with that. All I know is I want to figure it out with you. I’m excited about waking up every day and doing something spontaneous together—the way we always dreamed of. I want to start each day with you and your freckles being the first thing I see. I want to make up for all those days we missed out on and not wonder where you are, or what you’re doing, when I fall asleep. I love you, and that’s why you’re all I will ever need. As long as that’s what you want, I’m going to be with you.”
He leans down and devours me in a kiss that will own my soul for the rest of my life—just like he does.
I wrap my arms and legs around him, and he holds me, cupping the curves of my ass under my shorts.
“So, is that a yes?”
I press kiss after kiss to his neck and nip at his ear. “Yes. A thousand times, yes.”
He laughs. “Okay, then I have one request.”
“What?”
“Can we put some padding or something on the cabinets? I really don’t want to keep hitting my head.”
