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“Why are you putting distance between us?” It’s the first thing that comes to mind. Is she worried about that? About me being smitten?
“Because if your answer is no,” she goes on, “I’ll leave now.”
What?
She smiles at my shock. It’s an apologetic smile, delivered with a forlorn shrug.
“I’m smitten,” I confess, and then hold my breath. That’s it now. No holding back. Lainey went to bat for me today. She could have been angry about the Jenna thing, or my ex-wife, but she simply accepted. And then she let out her claws at Annabella. And that was totally for me. It’s reinforced how much I’m taken by this girl, and I really want her to know.
“Me too,” she all but whispers, like she’s equally scared to admit it.
Air. It gushes from my mouth, deflating my lungs. “Yeah?” I ask, relief and happiness consuming me.
“Yeah,” she confirms, throwing herself at me. I catch her and hug her, and, God have mercy on me, I let a single tear trickle down my cheek. This has to be right. It’s too natural not to be. She sighs into my neck. “And will you bugger it up?” she asks, her lips tickling my skin.
“No.” My answer is confident. Because I feel it. Never in my life have I been more determined to fulfill a promise. But just as I think that, I realize I haven’t actually promised. So I rectify that, hugging her tightly to reinforce it. “I promise.”
“And you’ll never leave me in the water alone?”
I laugh softly. “Never.”
“Then I’ll always love you.”
Just take a sledgehammer and smack me in the face. “You love me?” I ask, stilling against her.
“I really tried not to.”
I look up to the heavens and so wish we weren’t here right now. “I’m glad you failed.” Forcing her away from me, I encase her face with my hands and get us nose to nose. “I didn’t even try not to love you.”
“You love me?”
“Fuck, yeah.” I almost laugh, clarity washing over my stupid brain. “I must, because love is the only explanation for the chaos my heart and mind have been in since I met you.”
Happiness pours from every part of her—her mouth smiling, her eyes shining, her skin glowing, and her hold of my biceps tightening. “Chaos?”
“Perfect fucking chaos, Lainey.”
She smiles. “And what now?”
I know what she’s thinking. It’s the exact same thing I’m thinking. “All in, Lainey,” I say, staring her in the eye. “I’m all in.”
She breathes in, seeming to gather strength for what she wants to say next. “Me too.” She swallows, as do I, relieved, and I see a tear fall.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because I love you.” Her words are whispered but loud as fuck as she closes her eyes. “I didn’t think I could love again, Ty. I didn’t want to fall in love.” She shakes her head, and I smile mildly, appreciating how hard this must be for her to admit. “But when you held me in the water, when you pushed me past my boundaries, it made me realize something.”
I slide my hand onto her nape, massaging gently, making her look me in the eye. “What did you realize, beautiful?”
“I realized I should trust you.” She manages a small smile through her emotion. “I might be your perfect chaos, Ty, but you’re my perfect calm.” My heart squeezes. “So take me home and keep showing me I’m not mad for falling in love with you. Show me I’m not making a mistake.”
“You’re not making a mistake. Always believe that.”
She nods assertively. “How much longer do we have to stay here?”
“We don’t.” I’m done. “We’re leaving.” I take her hand and start leading her to freedom, pulling her along urgently behind me. The moment I break us out of the grounds of my uncle’s palatial pad, I swing her into me and kiss her hungrily, setting the pace for the remainder of our night. “I can’t wait to get you in my bed.” I talk around my kiss, not prepared to give up her lips just yet.
“Then hurry up.”
“I’m hurrying.”
Her tongue sweeps through my mouth effortlessly. “Please do.” She shows no attempt to pull away, either, as accepting and wrapped up in our kiss as I am. “Or I’ll rip this suit from your body here and now.”
“Do it.” I don’t think I’d give a shit. As ever when I’m with Lainey, I lose all reason.
Her hands come to the lapels of my jacket and start pushing them off my shoulders as she bites my lip, bold and daring. “Don’t think I won’t do it, Tyler. Get me home now.”
“Fuck,” I curse, ripping myself away, finding that lost reason. “What the hell do you do to me, Lainey Summer?” I scoop her up into my arms and carry her to my car.
