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“I was just finishing up breakfast. Will Lennon be down soon?” Mrs. Corrigan asks as she begins plating the food.
“Yes, ma’am,” I tell her as she sets a large spread in front of me. She even made homemade waffles. “Wow, Mrs. Corrigan. This looks amazing. You’re spoiling me.”
She smiles and pours me a cup of coffee. “I’m really going to miss you two being here.”
“I am too,” her dad adds. “It’s been great having kids in the house again.”
This causes me to laugh just as Lennon enters. She’s thrown her hair into a sloppy ponytail, and when our eyes meet, the electricity streaming between us seems to pull her closer. She places a sweet kiss on my lips, then sits down next to me where her mother put a plate piled full. I don’t miss the fact that she initiated a kiss this time. Fake or not, the way she looks at me is genuine.
“Ready to go back to California?” her dad asks.
A smile barely touches Lennon’s lips. She looks at me, then at her father. “I guess, but I’m really going to miss being here. It’s been perfect.”
I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t admit it aloud. Leaving means our fake relationship is over, and everything we pushed aside these past three days will need to be dealt with head on.
“Honey, you two can come back anytime you want.” Mrs. Corrigan beams. I notice the twinkle in her eyes when she looks at Lennon and me. It’s easy to pretend this is real when everyone believes it so easily. If only our innocent lie was the truth.
“I’m sure we’ll be back,” I offer, and Lennon glances over at me.
“We’d like that,” Mr. Corrigan tells me.
We make small talk the rest of the time and when we’ve finished breakfast, Lennon and I go upstairs to pack. As soon as we step inside the bedroom, I notice a rogue tear spill from her cheek. Carefully, I study her, holding back the temptation to kiss away her tears.
But fuck, I want to.
“Pregnancy hormones, I think. And I’m not looking forward to the flight,” she explains.
I pull her into a hug, and I swear she breathes me in as she rests her head on my chest. We stand there until my vision blurs, and I know we have to get going. The less stress Lennon is under, the better.
After we’re packed, I swing my bag over my shoulder and grab her heavy suitcase. As I go to walk out of the room, Lennon reaches for me and pulls me close. I turn to her, feeling her breath brush against my skin. Instead of ruining the moment with words, I stare into her crystal blue eyes and wait.
“Hunter…” she says. Letting out a ragged breath, she pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, almost begging for me.
Considering this might be the last time I kiss her, I place my palms on both cheeks and pull her mouth closer. When our lips finally touch, the fireworks we watched on the Fourth of July cannot compare to what I feel. We’re lost in each other, falling then floating, in a reality where nothing matters but us. It almost hurts to stop kissing her, and I allow every emotion I have to release, because this is the end of our façade. As soon as we’re in the car, I’ll go back to wearing a mask and pretending we’re only friends.
When we break apart and Lennon places her fingertips over her lips, I think I might’ve kissed away her ability to speak. By the way she greedily twisted her tongue with mine behind closed doors is confirmation something more simmers between us, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. I hold on to the dream of her being mine, as wrong as it is. For a second, she looks as if she’s lost in her head, and it causes the guilt to drip over me.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“No,” she firmly stops me. “Don’t be.”
Maybe I’ve overstepped the boundary or pushed her too far, which causes my mind to rush a million miles per hour, but she did too.
“Ready to go home?” I ask, changing the subject, escaping the silence that lingers between us.
“I’m ready to walk around braless, eat junk food, and sleep late,” she admits with a smirk.
I laugh, the sound bouncing off the walls as we exit her old bedroom. Lennon insists on grabbing the smaller suitcase, and when we go downstairs, her parents are waiting in the sitting room. I hurry and load our bags into the car, then come back inside and tell them goodbye. Hugs and kisses are exchanged between Lennon and her parents.
“We followed your Instagram account so we can see all your updates. Let us know as soon as the baby’s born, and we’ll come visit right away,” Mrs. Corrigan says. Her happiness radiates like sunshine.
