“Since college?”
“Yes. Since college.”
“I knew it. I knew you were always obsessed with me.” She smiles, sucking in her bottom lip between her teeth.
“You’re being sarcastic, but I don’t even care. I’ll fucking admit it.”
She lets out a belly laugh, but then the expression on her face rapidly changes. Lowering her eyes, she gently steps back. “I ran into Claire at the restaurant the night you found out your dad had cancer. At that time, she had said she was with you only a week earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about that?”
“I didn’t want to say anything to you that night because you were hurting. And then I convinced myself that I shouldn’t be jealous anyway.”
“We weren’t together,” I firmly state.
She nods, still focused on the wet tile beneath our feet.
“She wasn’t out here with me,” I repeat, grabbing Bailey’s shoulders and forcing her to look directly at me. “I have not been with Claire in over a year. Yes, she has helped me with the restaurant and the house, but we haven’t slept together in a very long time. I don’t understand why she would say that to you.”
“Because she’s probably just bitter—or threatened? Maybe even jealous. I know I was when she mentioned being with you.”
“There is nothing going on between Claire and me,” I tell her once again, making sure there is no doubt in her mind.
Bailey’s chest eventually falls, letting out a sigh of relief. “Yourprofessionalrelationship with her is over now, though, right?”
I nod. “Absolutely it is.”
After the shower, we’re in her bed. I’m lying on my back, and she’s straddling me with her legs, one resting on either side of me. Bailey’s head is turned to the side with her cheek laying against my chest. My arms wrapped tightly around her body and clasped together on her back. Our bodies rise and fall together in the same rhythm of breath.
“I love you, B, and I love Luca. I want to be whatever he needs—whatever you need,” I say, then I feel a drop of moisture from a tear that escapes her eyes, rolling down my bare chest.
“We’re actually going to do this, aren’t we?” she asks, her voice sounds surprised.
I gently lift her shoulders up so she’s looking at me. “Yes. This is happening.”
Her eyelids blink heavily as she smiles down at me. “Mason fucking Miller, I’m in love with you, and I can’t imagine how you managed to accomplish that.”
Clutching her hips, I quickly flip her over onto her back. Her perfectly sized tits bounce up and down as she giggles. Pinning her hands down up by her face, my fingers interlace between hers. “And now I’m going to convince you to move in with me.”
Widening her eyes, she slips free and lifts herself up onto her elbows. “That’s a big step. I need Luca to get used to us together first.”
I nod. “Of course. But I want you to know that it’s going to happen. So, we need to start puttingourhouse together with keeping in mind that you and Luca will be living there with me.”
The next morning, Bailey and I have breakfast together, then drive to her parents’ house to pick up Luca.
“So, how are we going to do this?” she asks, holding my hand across the center console.
I glance over to the passenger seat where she’s sitting with her legs crossed. Smiling at her, I answer, “Maybe we just come out and say it?”
She grins. “Say what, Mason?”
“Say that we’re dating.”
“We’re dating? We’re actually dating. This is so crazy.” She brings both of her hands up to her face, clearly trying to hide her expression.
I laugh. Yanking one of her hands away to show her reddened cheeks. “We are, aren’t we? It is kinda strange, isn’t it?”
Both of us are in a full belly laugh at the complete surprise of the situation when I pull into her parents’ driveway. But is it much of a surprise? I’m not sure because I’m confident I always knew.
