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“I’m okay,” I admit, not wanting to hide the truth from him. “Thank you... for last night. I appreciate it.”
He nods, taking one of my hands in his and I watch as he laces our fingers together.
“I’m falling in love with you, Kate. Last night was just the tip of the iceberg. I will do anything you need, just ask and I’ll do it.”
I close my eyes, basking in those words and thanking whoever sent him to me. He rests his forehead on mine and a hint of a smile breaks through.
“I’m falling for you too,” I whisper, touching my lips to his as his hands sink beneath the hem of his shirt, pulling me closer.
He’s my person, and hell or high water, I am going to do everything and anything to protect him, protect us because he is the best thing that has come out of this hellhole, and I wouldn’t trade him for anything.
Kate
When I found out my mother was dying, I believed I’d end up alone. I believed that I’d never know the kind of love my mother wanted for me. Then Drew barged into my life and turned everything I thought I knew upside down. In a way, I believe my mother sent Drew my way, knowing I’d need a shoulder to cry on, knowing I’d need someone strong and loving to take care of me in the days after her passing.
That night she left I was drowning until Drew pulled me out, held me, and sat with me as I cried myself to sleep. I spent the next week staying at his place, waiting for the contractors to finish my place and needing to be close to him. He didn’t seem to mind, joking about the fact that he wanted me to move in with him at some point anyway and that this was a good test run. He knew I wasn’t ready for that yet, but he wanted to make sure I knew where he stood, and I honestly don’t think he even knows how much that meant to me at the time.
“You okay?” Drew asks, taking my hand in his and placing it on his thigh as he drives toward Addison’s house.
I don’t know why the butterflies are fluttering inside my stomach faster and faster the closer we get to her house, but from the smile on Drew’s face, I doubt I have anything to worry about. Yet that stupid voice in my head is contradicting everything I know to be true and from the way that Drew is squeezing my fingers, he knows it.
“I’m fine,” I whisper, avoiding his eyes as he glances my way. He chuckles to himself, and I can’t help but laugh, shaking my head. “I’m nervous, okay? You happy now?” I peer over at him as his eyes flick to mine before going back to the road in front of us.
“I’m never happy when you’re feeling anything less than ecstatic,” he teases as that smile I’m falling so hard for crosses his face and I feel the tightness inside me ease. “Sweetheart, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Everyone will love you.”
I want to believe him. I want to walk into that house with my head held high, but all I can think about are all the memories these people have of me being a bitch, and that I’m walking into my own personal hell.
“You can’t know that,” I admit, that insecure feeling growing as we pass the high school and then the town church. I know we’re close once he slows and turns down a residential street and the second I see that familiar house from our teen years, the one Addison loved to throw parties in, my breath shortens and I close my eyes.
I don’t even realize we’ve parked until I hear my seat belt being unbuckled and strong hands are lifting me over the center console and before I can say a word, my legs are straddling his.
“Kate, I need you to look at me.”
I shake my head, my forehead resting against his shoulder as he lightly grabs the back of my neck and pulls until my eyes meet his.
“You have nothing to worry about.”
“But—”
He kisses me, effectively shutting me up and I know he meant for it to be a quick kiss, but the second his lips touch mine my body reacts, my fingers digging into his hair as I grind my hips over his. God, I hope this never gets old, I hope this unnatural need to devour him stays with us forever because the way his fingers dig into my hips as my mouth takes his, is everything I ever wanted when falling in love.
“Fuck,” Drew mutters as his lips detach from mine, his hooded eyes catching my gaze before his fingers trace my lips as if memorizing them for later. “I love you,” he whispers, my breath catching as the air in the car stills.
“What?” I whisper, sitting back, trying to make sure I didn’t hear something I only wanted to hear. Those luscious lips curl into a smirk as he palms my cheek, his thumb tracing along my jaw causing goose bumps to rise all over my body.
“You heard me,” he says, his eyes never leaving mine as I shake my head in disbelief.
“I don’t know if I did.” I open and close my mouth a few more times before he takes pity on me and laughs, leaning up and kissing me once more.
“I love you, Kate Murray.”
Holy shit. This can’t be happening.
“It can happen, and it is happening,” he whispers against my neck, not realizing I said those words out loud.
“You can’t love me,” I mutter, my mind working overtime as I try and take in those three words as best as I can.
“Why not?” he questions.
