I miss that adorable jerk who’s not actually a jerk.
I inhale a deep breath, trying to pin down what’s really holding me back from this. “I’m scared of how I feel about him,” I finally admit. “I’ve never felt this way about a guy. I have it so bad for him, and it’s a really fucking scary place to be.”
Ruby’s smile spreads across her cheeks. “Welcome to my world. Isn’t it wonderful?”
* * *
Me
R u at home?
Sexy Neighbor
I’m over at Mom and Dad’s. Come by?
Be there soon. X
* * *
Gravel crunchesbeneath the wheels of my Honda Civic as I slowly drive down the Kings’ driveway. After I pull over in one of the parking bays near the front stoop, my gaze snags on a huge pile of cardboard boxes resting on the concrete tiles. Beside them sits the Mustang that Dylan uses when he’s not riding his motorcycle, the trunk wide open.
Dylan strolls out the front door wearing a vintage T-shirt and athletic shorts with a black cap sitting backward over his disheveled hair. I just about melt into my car seat while he walks toward me.
“Hey,” he says when I fling the car door open. The second I get out, he reaches for me and pulls me up inside a heavenly hug, turning his nose into my neck.
When he lets go, my gaze drifts to the moving boxes, the sight piercing my chest. He wasn’t supposed to leave for Austin until Christmas.
“How are you doing?” Dylan asks.
“I’m okay.” As we take the few steps toward the house, I fill him in on this morning’s meeting at the police station and the furnace revelation, leaving out all the shit that happened with Nate after.
When we reach the stoop, I wave a hand at the stack of boxes.
“So, this is it?” I ask, attempting to sound casual, but my voice is as tight as a fist.
Dylan’s brow furrows. “This is what?”
“This is where it ends?”
He waits for more, then says, “Life as we know it? The universe? Ella’s dance recitals which, apart from her sweet moves, are excruciating to watch? I need specifics.”
I squint over a wry smile. “Us.You being in Still Springs.”
He slides his hands into his pockets. “I’m not moving out, Jade; I’m moving in.” He jerks his chin at the stunning home behind him. “The apartment’s got smoke and water damage, and it’s also kinda cramped. This place might be twelve sizes too big for me, but I’ll figure out what to do with it, and my sisters will come and stay a lot. I’m also gonna be looking after Ella more now that I’m staying, and maybe the new baby too, so we’ll need the space.”
My mind is struggling to grasp all this. “You’restaying?”
He throws a hand up. “Before you freak out, know that this decision isn’t because of you—not entirely, anyway. I’ve thought about this a lot, and I genuinely want to be here. Okay?”
I nod, trying to catch the breath lodged in my chest. “Okay.”
“Good.” One side of his mouth quirks. “Now that that’s settled, you should probably be my girlfriend.”
My lips fall open, and my heart kicks into overdrive.
“I was planning to drive over to your place later to tell you that and a few other things.” Dylan closes the distance between us and lets out a long breath. “Jade, I’ve always believed I was the worst man for you, but you make me want to be a better one. You have single-handedly replaced all the bad memories I had of this place with good ones. And now, I want to do the same for you.” He reaches for my hand, his thumb stroking over my wrist. “Let me be the one to help you rebuild the store if that’s what you choose to do. Let me be the man holding your hand at the Italian fair. The one trudging through the mud by your side at the annual race. Let me be the one lying next to you when you fall asleep and when you wake up. Because if you don’t, it’ll get really awkward when we run into each other, and neither of us needs that.”
Tears rise to my eyes, and my lips fight a smile. “That would be awful.”
