“I’m not. I’m so fucking grateful.” He pushed a strand of stray hair behind my ear. “I love you, Emily.”
The words hung in the air between us, stark and raw and impossible.
“You—what?”
“I love you.” He cupped my face with both hands, thumbs brushing away tears I hadn’t realized were falling. “I’m in love with you. Have been since you sat on your car eating that apple like you had all the time in the world. Maybe before that. I don’t know when it happened, just that it did.”
“You don’t—” I shook my head. “You barely know me.”
“I know enough. I know you’re brave and stubborn and kind. I know you take care of everyone else and forget to take care of yourself. I know you make me want things I thought I’d given up on.” His forehead pressed against mine. “I know you gave me something precious last night, and I’m an ass for not acknowledging it at the time. But to be honest, I was pretty fucking gone last night.”
My breath caught. “How did you—”
“Your body told me. The way you tensed at first. The way you...” He trailed off, jaw clenching. “You should have told me.”
“Would it have changed anything?”
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” He groaned softly. “I would’ve been more careful. Made it better for you.”
I smiled at him. “I don’t think that could have happened.”
“Tell me I didn’t screw this up beyond repair. Tell me I still have a chance.”
I looked at him—this complicated, damaged, beautiful man who’d just driven down a mountain with a migraine starting to tell me he loved me. Who’d been harsh this morning because I’d hurt him. Who was looking at me now like I was his entire world.
“I’m scared,” I admitted.
“Me too.”
“What if this doesn’t work?”
“What if it does?” He pulled back enough to meet my eyes. “I’m not good at this. At people. At relationships. I’ll probably mess up. Say the wrong thing. Disappear into my head when the pain gets bad.”
“I’ll probably overthink everything and assume you’re going to leave.”
“I won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.” His voice was firm. Final. “Because I love you. And I’m done running. Done hiding. If you’ll give me a chance, I’ll spend every day proving I’m worth the risk.”
“Tucker—”
He kissed me before I could finish. Soft at first, then deeper, desperate. Pouring everything he couldn’t say into the press of his lips, the sweep of his tongue. I melted into him, my hands gripping his shoulders, kissing him back with everything I had.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
“Is that a yes?” he asked against my lips.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Yes, you idiot. I love you too.”
His smile was beautiful. Devastating. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
He kissed me again, harder this time. His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him. I could feel the heat of him through our clothes, could feel how much he wanted me even through the pain of his migraine.
“We should stop,” I murmured against his mouth.
