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Again, I’m shocked that he actually hears what I say. No guy I’ve ever dated actually gave a shit what I had to say. Is this guy for real? He just seems too good to be true I can’t help but think to myself again.
“And . . . now I remember the worst part about a root beer float.”
“Is there a worst part?” I say like he is out of his mind.
“Oh yes there is, my sweet girl,” he says as he gives me a cold and slightly sticky kiss to the nose. “The ice cream is always gone way too soon and then you’re left with too much root beer. But . . . the great part about being an adult is I can just scoop up more and add to it. I think that’s just what I am gonna do!” He says as he lifts his spoon up in the air as if he is now the victor in some competition only he’s a part of.
If he wasn’t so freaking hot I would say he was cute, but the unadulterated sexiness that is Jonathan Kelly beats out the cute. It’s a really tight race, though.
“Well, I like my ice creamy root beer just the way it is, so you get on with your bad self and get more ice cream, you big old adult, you. I have cupboards to check out while I continue to drink my frothy goodness.”
I turn my back to him and open the cupboard in front of me but only find glasses. I move to the next and find plates, and then in the cupboard next to the fridge I strike gold. What I find may just change my last thought about the hotness overriding the cuteness.
The thing that catches my eye first off is that there are two jars of peanut butter. The jar with the creamy has a pink sticky note on it that says Gracie, and the jar with the crunchy has a blue sticky note on it that says, Georgia. There are many other items in the cupboard, including what look to me to be ingredients to make s’mores. The s’more ingredients would normally win out, but at the moment I’m standing here with unshed tears in my eyes that I refuse to let fall. I don’t even know why they’re there. I’m not sad. I’m happy. I mean he got me my own peanut butter, and then there’s the sticky notes. Freaking sticky notes! I feel so special in this moment but I can’t tell him that. It’s not like my mom and my brother or even Cami don’t love me and treat me great, but I’ve never had a guy treat me like this. It’s a bit overwhelming with all that I have going on and it’s happening so damn fast.
I feel two strong arms circle around my middle from behind.
“You haven’t moved. You okay, Gracie?” He whispers in my ear.
Praying to everything holy that my voice doesn’t quiver when I answer I say, “You remembered? You actually hear what I say and remember it? Are you for real?”
He rests his chin on my shoulder and lets out a big breath and says in a low whisper into my ear, “Sweetheart, I told you I remember everything about you. There is something about you that has crawled under my skin, and to be honest I want it to stay there. Just being near you makes me so happy that all I can think about is making you feel just as happy as I am. I know that this is fast, and I know we’re on borrowed time, but shit, Em, I have spent the last three nights with you just talking. Just talking all night, okay not just talking. There have been the best kisses of my life thrown in here and there. But for the most part I never would have thought that the girl I had always dreamed of would show up and I would stay up every night talking to her, if you know what I mean?”
He turns me so I’m facing him and a tear escapes against my will to trap it in. He wipes it away and continues . . .
“Would I like more than talking? Of course. But am I okay just spending every night this week hanging out? You bet your sweet ass I am,” he says as he gives me a tiny little pat to what is apparently my ‘sweet ass’.
“So, yes, I remember all the little things you say because you are all I think about. I can’t fall asleep at night because these fucking beautiful blue eyes of yours are all I can see as I replay our conversations over and over in my head. It’s like deep down I know I’m not going to be able to use my southern charm to get you to make this last longer than the time you’ve promised me. I’m trying to bottle it all up so that I can keep these memories forever.”
“Jonathan, I don’t want to hurt you if I can’t promise more than this time we have right now. My life is up in the air and I have so much going on. Everything you’re doing means the world to me and I feel the same way. The last few days and nights have been amazing, but I need to know that I’m not leading you on and that you know that now is all I can give you. Please tell me you know that and you still want me to stay,” I almost beg as more tears start to pile up in my eyes.
“I want you to stay more than anything I have ever wanted. I understand what you’re offering and even if it kills me on Monday, I will let you say goodbye.”
He brushes my rogue tears away and kisses, each of my tear-stained checks and says, “Now, no more tears sweetheart. Let’s have some fun.”
We decide to take a walk on the beach after finishing our floats on the patio. We grab some towels to leave out on the deck chairs so when we come back we can clean up before we go inside. We lock things up, and head off in the sand holding hands. Up closer to the water each cottage has a little table, two chairs and tiki themed umbrella. We both agree we will have to get some use out of those while we’re here.
We’re walking in silence for quite some time when I remember that I didn’t see any of his clothes in the one and only bedroom back at the cottage.
“Jonathan, I noticed when I was putting my clothes away that you didn’t have any of yours hanging up or in the drawers. Where are all of your things?”
“Oh, I just have my sea bag (These Marines and their fancy names for all of their bags. Again, who knew?) over by the couch with everything in it I need. I did put some stuff in the bathroom, but I’m fine with my things in my bag. That reminds me, I had some sunblock in the bathroom that we don’t want to forget when we’re out and about. Especially in the jeep, that sun can be deadly.”
“Jonathan?”
“Emily?”
“Please don’t sleep on the couch tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, more than sure.”
“Emily, I would love to sleep with you tonight, but please know that if I do there are no expectations. Just having you in my arms is more than enough.”
He stops walking and turns us so we are facing each other and says, “Em, I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”
“O . . .” is all I get out before his lips are on mine and his hands are in my hair.
