My lips parted in surprise.
“Last night? What? You want to talk about last night after we’ve just been separated for hours by some mysterious event you haven’t shared the details of?”
“Lila,” he said, sternly yet gently. “All I’ve wanted to do is talk about last night since the moment it happened.”
“But—” I started to protest, but snapped my mouth shut when I saw his look of fierce determination.
“Lila,” he said my name again slowly, with care.
“Harrison,” I said, my knees feeling like they could buckle at any moment.
He reached up and traced his fingertips lightly along my chin. I took a shaky breath. He pulled his hand away and raked it through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Fuck, I’m bad at this.” He let out a breath as I held mine, waiting for him to continue.
While I mentally prepared myself for rejection, his intense resolve told me something else was happening here.
“I lied last night. Or maybe lied isn’t the right word. I think I thought what I was saying was the truth, but it wasn’t.”
My eyebrows pinched together.
“I’m so confused.”
He let out a frustrated laugh. “Shit, sorry. I suck at this.”
Harrison lifted his hand like he was going to touch my face again, but stuffed it in his pocket instead.
“Maybe...Maybe I’m not worried about you wanting more. Maybe I’m worried that I do,” he said.
My heart slammed against my chest.
“This is hard,” he muttered, which made me let out a nervous laugh.
“Look, I’ve never let anyone in like this. I don’t know what to do, or where this could go. But what I am certain of is that I don’t want it to stop.” He stared at me intently.
“Then why did you stop it last night?” I questioned.
“Because I’m scared,” he whispered. “I know that’s so fucking lame, but there it is. You’re a hell of a lot more to me than some vacation fling, and that fact alone is terrifying. I don’t even know what letting someone in like that looks like. And I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t want to hurt you. That scares me too, because there’s no possible way I’m the right guy for you.” He paused and searched my face. “But I don’t really care. Because if there's even a shred of you that wants this—wants me—then I'll happily take whatever you’ll give.”
A smile spread across my face. My nerves were still present, but the twisting feeling now felt more like butterflies than nausea. This was everything I’d always hoped he’d say, and had never in a million years expected to hear.
“Are you going to say anything, or just leave me hanging?” he asked, an unmistakable note of concern in his voice.
“I got to you.” I grinned and poked his chest. I nearly gasped when he captured my hand with his own and crushed me against him.
“You got me,” he breathed.
He dipped his head and kissed me, slow and firm. One hand came up to cradle my face while the other gripped my side, holding me close.
After a moment, he broke away. A rare smile crept onto his lips. I beamed, knowing I’d put it there.
“Today sucked,” he said, which made us both break into a laugh.
“Well, it isn’t over yet,” I pointed out.
“True,” he said, tangling my hair in his fingers. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d ever describe a look from Harrison as adoring, but that’s exactly what it was.
“Want to go shopping with me?” I asked, batting my eyes innocently up at him.
