The ghost of a smile crosses his lips. “Nothing ever was,” he whispers, pulling me back against him with a sigh. "You know… I wanted to tell you how I felt that night. You were leaning against me, complaining how the smores hurt your stomach because you ate so much. And all I could think was, I love you. I love this girl." He takes a deep breath and sighs, then he looks into my eyes. "But I chickened out. Just like I always did."
I tilt my head to one side. I always knew there was something between us, and it’s a little bittersweet hearing about missed opportunities now. But I doubt they would’ve changed the outcome. He still would’ve left. And we’d still be here eleven years later, sitting in a bomb shelter thinking about the life we had before, while still hurting over the time we missed out on each other in between. Now, there’s only hope left. Hope for something better in this new beginning.
"You tried to tell me more than once?"
"I remember a day, before the end of your shift at Old Nan's shop. I came to pick you up. There was a customer who came in and was being a complete douche—kept trying to make you give him a sample of the same flavor over and over. You gave him a piece of your mind and kicked him out of the shop like the great force of nature you are." He chuckles to himself as he brings his eyes to mine. "That day was the first time. It was the day that I justknew. I knew I loved you. I just…I felt like if I told you, and you didn’t love me back…that I might now survive it." He releases a stuttered breath as he looks into my eyes, straight into my soul. "I was afraid you’d reject me. I was afraid Ollie would kick my ass too,” he adds with a laugh. “But most of all, I was just scared. You were all I had."
“Oh, Tyler,” I whisper, swooning hard. “I loved you since I was a little girl and didn’t even understand that’s what it was. For me, there’s never been a moment when I could even consider anyone else. Only you.”
“God. I love hearing you say that, Ave. I’m so sorry I fucked this up for as long as I did.”
“I know,” I whisper, placing my hands on either side of his stubbled face. “But I also know you’re going to spend the rest of our lives making it up to me, right?”
He nods and presses his forehead to mine. “If we ever get out of this stupid hole.”
“I thought we could live here like royalty,” I say, smiling as our lips brush, teasing each other with our closeness and the heat of our breath.
“We could. But I’m desperate to do more than just kiss you, Avery. I want to lie you on my bed, peel your clothes from your skin and kiss every part of you. I want to taste what’s between your legs until you’re screaming for more. And I want to plant myself inside you, fill you to the brim with my seed so that when a child grows in your belly, every man will know you’re mine and mine alone. I need to claim you, Avery. And I can’t do it down here.”
“God, Tyler,” I gasp, panting from the heat of his words. “Keep talking like that and you might have to.”
He smiles as his hands move beneath my coat, pressing into the curve of my hips. “We can wait, Avery. Lord knows my dick is aching to take you up on that offer, but I want this to be special. It’s both of our first time.”
“OK,” I say, slightly disappointed that my buzzing body needs to wait for his touch, but understandingand agreeingthat this isn’t the time nor the place to get carried away—even though I want to. “We can wait.”
“I love you,” he says, pulling me in for another soul-searing kiss.
“I love you too.” And just as the kiss deepens, turning from hot to heavy, my name echoes out from above us, abruptly cutting into our moment.
“Avery!”
Our eyes meet, wide and excited. “Someone’s here,” I gasp.
“Perfect fucking timing,” he says, grinning from ear to ear. And I know how he feels. Five more minutes of making out like that and we would have been dry humping on the floor.
“Oh, my god! Avery! Are you down there?”
“We’re here!” I yell back, getting to my feet as a beam of light shines through the opening we fell through. “We’re OK.”
“Oh thank heavens,” Ali says, her face hidden from my vision behind the torchlight, but I’d know her voice anywhere. “I knew something was wrong when you didn’t come to lunch. Mark tried to tell me you were fine. Shame on you.” The male grunt to her side tells me she said that last part to our boss.
Tyler appears by my side. "It's about time you guys showed up!" he says, just as Ali shrieks.
“Tyler?”
“The one and only,” he says, grinning.
“Ohhh, are we saving him, Ave? Or are we leaving him to rot?”
I let out a giggle. Best friends always have your back, no matter what. “We’re saving him,” I say, looping my arm through his. “He’s finally come back to finish what we started.”
