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There’s no fucking way I’m sitting in this room and watching like a voyeur for another minute.
I don’t wait for the planned introduction to the party guests; I don’t wait at all.
Determined, I stride out into the main room. People recognize me, that much is clear, but I only have eyes for Holley and Chloe.
Chloe spots me on my approach first, smiling widely and giving me a thumbs-up in support.
I vaguely notice some of the other women I went on dates with trying to catch my attention, but I don’t return the gestures.
Holley looks up just as I step closer to her, and with her looking the way she does tonight, I have absolutely no other choice. I have to feel her body against mine, the heat of my flesh on hers. It’s instinctual, basic—I’ve missed it so fucking much.
Her eyes widen, startled by the fact that I’m not slowing down at all, but I don’t stop to explain. Just like the night she opened her door and her body to the possibility of something with me, I take her face in mine and put my lips to hers.
Ever reliable, she gasps, and I don’t waste the opportunity.
My tongue sweeps inside her mouth as a low rumble starts up around us with the unexpected excitement of a total party shakeup. It takes a few long seconds in time, but when Holley’s arms come up to wrap around my neck as she kisses me back, everything I never knew I needed comes crashing down on top of me, filling me with hope and love and the kind of happiness only Chloe seemed to understand I needed.
Speaking of Chloe, she whoops beside us, letting out a cheer and a whistle.
I smile against Holley’s mouth, and without hesitation, she returns the gesture.
Pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes, I’m rewarded with the jade light I thought I’d have to fight and plead for—the look of a woman ready to take the leap with me.
It’s wholly unexpected, but goddamn, it’s so welcome. At forty years old, I’ve already had more than enough drama to last a lifetime.
“I thought I was going to have to convince you,” I whisper softly, pushing gentle fingers into the fringe of her perfectly curled hair.
We’re still close, but not enough that I can’t see when she smiles, her nose wiggling slightly as she pulls her lips into her mouth and shakes her head. “I know. That’s normally my thing, huh?”
I nod, leaning my forehead into hers as she laughs lightly. “I’ve definitely had to talk you into things a time or two.”
“I finally listened to what you were saying, let go, and got with the program more quickly this time. After all, you always convince me eventually anyway, right?”
I nod again. “Always.” And especially this time. I’m pretty sure I would have stopped at nothing to show her how right we are together.
“Plus,” she adds like it’s an afterthought. “I love you, so…” She shrugs and then giggles, and my chest swells to three times its normal size. Holy shit. Hearing those words from her—given freely and without hesitation—is, without a doubt, one of the best moments of my life. I reach forward and lift her into my arms, hug her to my chest, and spin her around.
She laughs at my over-the-top gesture, understanding it for what it is—reciprocation. Still, with something this important, there’s not even a slight chance in hell I’m going to leave even a sliver of doubt.
I set her on her feet, pull her back with my hands at her hips and look right into her jade-green eyes.
“I love you too, you know.”
She nods, her lips twisting with emotion as she works to fight back tears. She knows. Looking back at everything that’s happened between us, I have to imagine it’d be hard not to. Truth be told, there’s no way either one of us could doubt it if we’re honest with ourselves.
Even with the other women coming and going, it’s always been about Holley. And for her, no matter the lines she wasn’t supposed to cross, it’s always been about me. Two people as right for each other as we are, always find a way through the chaos to one another.
When the fog of our moment evaporates, courtesy of a cleared throat from her father, we look up to find everyone in the room staring at us.
Eyes blink, cameras flash, and a whispered roar rolls through the crowd as people start discussing the events of our reunion among themselves. It’s quite the intense experience. I grab Holley’s hand, expecting her to shrink a little under the scrutiny, and her dad and Chloe close ranks. Intended or not, it seems we’ve formed our own little fortress—an impenetrable family unit. Its strength is unmistakable, and if Holley shrinks at all, it’s only because she’s leaned farther into me.
