Jamie wasted no time in turning back to me. “You got in,” he repeated, this time a smile stretching across his face. The dimple poked in his cheek, and his handssettled at my waist again. “I knew you would. Daze, Iknew it.”
I felt like I could’ve exploded with happiness. “That means our graphic novel dream is back on, if you’re still interested.”
“It was never off.” Another slow grin spread across his lips. “You still want to use Kit, don’t you? I thought he was a pretty handsome character for a graphic novel?—”
“Youdidsee!”
“I saw the night I climbed the tree into your room.” Jamie pushed some of my hair back behind my ear, his fingers trailing along my neck—tickling at the exact same spot he’d kissed all those weeks ago. “You left your sketchbook open on your desk. I thought it was a little conceited of me to think we looked similar, but.” He gave a theatrical shrug.
“I can’t believe it tookBecksaying something for me to notice.”
Jamie chuckled at that. “Except should I be alarmed you’ve been drawing me dying for the past four years?”
“Kit’s invincible,” I told him, reaching for his suit jacket, smoothing my fingers down the lapels. “Even when he gets his head chopped off, he doesn’t die. So take it as a compliment—I drew a version of you I could never lose.”
“You could never lose me in the first place.” Jamie dropped a kiss to the top of my head, then to my forehead, ducking himself lower again. “You’re stuck with me.”
“You’restuck withme,” I corrected, fingers sneaking past his suit jacket to pry his tieout. “The NYU campus is a half hour from Columbia’s. We’re going to be two cute college students in love.”
Jamie tried to quell his smile, but failed. “I can’t wait.”
I wound his tie around my hand, cinching it in my fist and drawing him toward me. Our lips met halfway, Jamie’s hand pressing flat into the table to brace himself, the other lifting to tilt my head back further. I had a feeling this was something else I’d never get enough of—kissing Jamie. I felt a little bad for Nellie. But not that bad.
After a moment, I pulled back, gasping for a breath. “I love you,” I whispered, still gripping his tie, still holding him to me. “I didn’t say it earlier. I love you, James Brighton.”
And then, delicately, I pushed his glasses up his nose.
For a guy who claimed he didn’t read romances—which was a complete lie, because I’d looked it up, andATale of Two Citiestotally is a romance—he looked at me the way all the romance leads in books did. Like there was no one else in the entire world but me. Maybe he didn’t like romances, but I was certain that we were his favorite to date. “I love you, my little planet,” Jamie murmured, once more touching his forehead to mine. “Always.”
Yeah. Like a dream, indeed.
EPILOGUE
When Jamie said he had a surprise for me Sunday afternoon, I didn’t quite know what to expect. We’d only just gotten together last night at the fundraiser—what could he havepossiblyorganized that fast?
“So where are you going?” Ivy asked me for the fourth time, watching as I ran a brush through my hair. The curls from last night had relaxed into a cute, red wave, and I even threw on a little bit of mascara. “Is it a picnic?”
“I told you, Jamie said it was a surprise. I don’t know what we’re doing.”
“Can I come with, then?” Junie asked, lips puffed into a pout as she stood just outside the bathroom. “I don’t want to stay home.”
“Sorry, kid,” I told her, touching the top of her head as I left the bathroom. “I do know one thing about the surprise, and that it’s adate.”
Ivy wrinkled her nose. “No kissing. Jamie said you’re not allowed to kiss until you’re married.”
I pressed my lips together, the same ones that’d been all over Jamie’s the night before. “Right.”
Nellie
I’m sending you a bill for therapy
Um, I’m pretty sure I saw YOU macking on Beck the night of your birthday and I gave you a pass
Nellie
okay but this is the SECOND TIME I walked in on you two kissing. You were supposed to be arguing, not eating each other’s faces. This is way more traumatic.
you hear that?
