Page 21 of The Road Back to Us

I allowed myself to grin as I stared at her, admiring the smile on her face as she studied the bag of gummy worms and the bottle of Sprite I had gotten her.

I had wanted to surprise Lyric on our first date, so I went to the store and tried to pick something special to give her. My dad had recommended that I get her flowers, but I thought the idea was lame and wanted to do something cooler.

I’d spent so long staring at the candy that I hadn’t noticed that she was standing beside me until she plucked a bag of gummy worms from the rack and opened them. I was still unaware of her presence until she dangled a worm in front of my face, making it dance like a worm on a fishing hook.

When I finally paid attention and spotted it, I jumped back in surprise, making her giggle as she popped one in her mouth and ate it. I could still remember the gleam in her eyes as she watched me, amusement flickering across her face as I tried to hide the flush covering my face.

“Good thing I’m not a snake,” she said, looking up at me as she recited the same line she had said to me that day. “I would have bitten you.”

“Oh, but what a way to go,” I replied, saying the same thing I had said to her all those years ago, back when I was as hopelessly in love with her as I still was today.

Twenty-One

Lyric

I hadn’t been able to stop smiling after seeing the surprise gift Cole had picked up for me while at the store earlier. Finding the gummy worms and soda he had bought for me on our first date brought back a sense of nostalgia I had been missing for so long, and it made my heart ache. I wanted nothing more than to climb back into that memory and live there a little bit longer.

“Thank you for the gift,” I said, setting the items down on my nightstand.

“My pleasure,” Cole replied, toeing off his shoes and putting them in the closet.

It felt oddly comforting how quickly we had gone back into old habits over the past few weeks living together. It was like the last six years had never happened, and time had stopped for us. The things that had once felt so big no longer took up the same space in my head. Maybe that was just what happened when life priorities changed; everything else shifted as well.

“I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” I continued, feeling my stomach slip as the nerves threatened to take over as I struggled to say what I needed to. “I know that you don’t have to do any of this, so I really—”

“I want to, Lyric. I’ve always wanted to take care of you, and that won’t stop anytime soon.”

I licked my lips, hoping the wetness would help with the sudden dryness in my mouth.

“I know, but I still want to say thank you. You somehow always know what I need before I do. It’s like you’re constantly doing all of these little things that no one would even think of, but when you step back, you see how much of a difference they make.”

“It’s just what I do.” He shrugged and tugged off his shirt, tossing it into the hamper as I quickly looked away before I got caught ogling him again.

Not that it was my fault, he did have a perfect body.

I waited while he got changed, distracting myself by plugging my phone in to keep myself busy. The bed dipped with his weight as he sat down beside me. I noticed he didn’t lie down right away like he usually did, and felt a prickle along my skin as goosebumps spread across it in anticipation of his touch.

“I know you don’t want me to,” he said softly, the sadness in his voice lifting my head to look at him. “But I still love you, Lyric. There’s nothing in the world I wouldn’t do for you.”

“Cole,” I whispered, not wanting to break his heart while he was so vulnerable.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know that things have changed between us over the years and that you don’t feel the same way. But you wanted to know why I do the things I do, so you have your answer. I’m hopelessly in love with—”

Before he could finish his sentence, I leaned in and cupped his cheek as I kissed him.

I felt him stiffen for half a second before his body relaxed and he pulled me into his arms. I didn’t fight it as I nestled against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body next to mine as our lips moved in the same perfect rhythm they always had.

My arms linked behind his neck as his hands slid up my side, lifting the thin fabric of my tank top in the process. I was on sensation overload as his tongue teased mine while his calloused hands scraped across my skin, making me needier by the second.

A soft moan escaped my lips as I turned my head, deepening the kiss. He grunted softly as he lifted me until I was straddling his lap. The hardness of his erection pressed against my core, making me so wet I began rubbing against him, desperate for the friction.

His hands reached down and grabbed my ass, kneading it as I pushed down harder on his cock.

“Lyric,” he moaned, pulling away slightly to get his words out. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t—”

“If you could feel my panties right now, you would know there was nothing I wanted more right now,” I rasped, nudging his head to the side as I kissed his neck, which I knew was his weak spot.

“We don’t have to,” he continued.