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When he tucked us back into bed, pulled me onto his chest, and held my hand, murmuring in my ear that I was the greatest gift he’d ever had.
And woke me twice in the night with greedy hands and a hungry mouth, taking care of me better than anyone ever had or could.
Anchored.
When I woke hours later and knew.
There’d be no more imagining.
This was it.
He was mine.
And I loved him.
49
BREE
Iwoke again hours later to the smell of vanilla, smiling at the recent memory of Vinh’s sweet kiss and his whispered explanation that he wanted birthday waffles—which he said were now his lucky food—and wanted me to stay in bed until they were done.
I yawned widely and stretched my arms above my head, deliciously sore. I threw back the covers, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and grabbed Vinh’s shirt, slipping it over my head as my thoughts wandered to the day ahead.
Vinh’s birthday, our move-in day for the cottage, and my scheduled dinner with Grandmother, which I still wasn’t sold on attending. If it weren’t for my large collection of nostalgic T-shirts, photos of my parents, and the box of Cody’s notes and other memorabilia, I would’ve probably opted out of the entire ordeal.
I unplugged my phone and picked it up from the side table where Vinh had set it to charge at some point in the night, startled to see that it was already 9:00 a.m. I shot off the bed and rushed through a shower, wanting to be ready to eat and go as soon as possible.
Vinh greeted me with a smile, seeming a bit distracted even as he drank in my jean shorts, T-shirt, and purple bandana tied around my head. I’d woken up a bit hot, thinking it had been because of our nighttime activities, but now that I was entering the cabin, I felt it.
Something had changed in the air.
We both turned our attention to the front deck window, which showed nothing but clear skies and a gentle breeze.
I didn’t trust it.
He pulled me into his chest for a hug and kissed the top of my head. “Come on, let’s eat on the deck. Waffles are ready.”
I grinned up at him. “Do you love breakfast food as much as I do, or are you just buttering my biscuits?”
His head dropped back and he closed his eyes, groaning. The sound was so similar to the ones he made last night that I couldn’t help but squirm.
“You’re going to have to tell me exactly what that means. Also, we need to have a discussion about my brother and your best friend and whatever that mess is. But not today.” He blew out a sound he usually reserved for Liem and stepped through the door to the deck.
“Have I already told you Happy Birthday?” I asked, trailing behind him.
He gave me a smug, satisfied look. “Definitely.” He sat the plates down and pulled me in for a kiss. “I wouldn’t mind you telling me again later, though. It’s keeping ‘good morning’ and ‘good evening’ company in my list of favorite phrases.”
We parted after one more lingering kiss and started in on our waffles, Vinh uncharacteristically checking his phone throughout the meal.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, setting down my fork and wiping syrup from my lips.
He put his phone back down, frowning. “There’s a tropical storm forming. They haven’t projected that it’ll be making landfall here, but…,” he trailed off, frowning up at the blue sky as if he could demand answers from it.
“I know what you mean. I felt it when I got up, too, like something was coming. It’s a little too hot today and a little too….” I tilted my head to the side, trying to pinpoint the difference.
“Quiet,” he supplied, his voice low.
I listened, considering for a moment before I confirmed. “Quiet.”
