Page 142 of Run to Me

Her eyes twinkle with confidence. “It’s a good thing I’m stubborn. I’m the queen of holding out.”

Don’t I know it. She held a grudge for nearly half her life without batting an eye. A few weeks of abstinence should be a piece of cake for her, but I’ll have a hell of a time keeping my hands to myself.

After sealing our deal with a deep, meaningful kiss, I say, “Let’s go get your bags, birdie. Our future starts now.”

54

MAISY

“So gross,” I whisper while lacing up my tan roller skates. Supposedly, the rental skates are disinfected, but I’ll believe that when I see it happen with my own eyes.

Jensen stands from the bench, testing his mobility on eight wheels. “You picked the date,” he reminds me.

The vintage roller rink in a town near Walford smells like stale popcorn, dirty socks, and hasn’t been renovated since the 1980s. It was a popular birthday party spot back in grade school, and I haven’t been here in decades.

We’re settling into cohabitation with ease, though I’m not surprised. Jensen and I never tire of each other. At home, we cook breakfast together, work on updating the house decor, and we’ve gone antiquing to find unique furnishings to fit our style. We spend quality time together, learning more about the adults we’ve become and growing closer than we’ve ever been.

He’s also followed through with taking me on dates. Since nighttime outings are off the table because of his job, we find things to do earlier in the day. A morning stroll through the park is our favorite activity, but the rain prevents us from being outdoors today. Enter my backup plan: good old-fashioned roller skating.

Because it’s so early, the place is empty. Apart from the two of us, there’s a tired-looking woman reading a book and four young boys zipping around the rink. Top 40 music hits blare from the speakers, but the strobe lights add little to the party atmosphere since half of the overhead lights are on as well.

With my head down, I peek at Jensen from my hunched position. The black skates on his feet shouldn’t work with the beard, tatted arms, jeans, and grey T-shirt, but they do.

“You undressing me in your mind, birdie? Do these babies turn you on?” He shuffles his feet, showing off his skills.

Rolling my eyes, I scoff. “Please. You look ridiculous.”

With my laces knotted, I push myself off the bench, unprepared for the wheels to spin. My arms flail, and I bend back and forth at the waist while regaining my balance before he steadies me.

“On the way here, you bragged about being a good skater,” he says.

I shove his arms off my shoulders and grab his elbow. “I said I used to be good at skating. It’s been twenty years. Now shut up and lead the way.”

With ease, he escorts me across the carpeted floor to the low wall surrounding the rink. “Do you want to hug the wall or me?”

“Neither. I know how to skate.”

Quirking a brow in challenge, he gestures with a hand, inviting me to enter the rink first. The second my wheels touch the hardwoods, a young boy zooms past me. He almost knocks me down but swerves at the last minute. I’m all windmill arms and curse words as my feet go in different directions. Always steady, Jensen rolls forward and lifts me off the ground.

“I’ve got this,” I say through clenched teeth while dangling in his arms.

“If you say so.”

He sets me down by the wall and takes off, skating backward with a smirk on his face. I cling to the wall and growl at him, but he can’t hear me over the music or his laughter. Pretending to be unbothered by his graceful movements, I adjust my oversized red sweater, which got twisted during my near fall, and pick invisible lint off my checkered leggings.

After he makes a full, cocky circuit around the rink, he returns, plants a hip on the wall, and rests a forearm along the top. “I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Playing along as myself, I reply, “The fastest way to strike out is by calling me ‘sweetheart.’”

His gaze sweeps me from head to toe. “Is that right? Well, I’m sure you taste sweet, and you have my heart racing, so the name seems fitting.”

My breath hitches before laughter explodes from my chest, and he joins in until we’re both holding our bellies. Wiping my eyes with a sleeve, my amusement fizzles on a long sigh. “Oh my god. That was awful.”

“Wait, wait. Let me try again.”

He wipes the grin off his face and gives me a smoldering look, which causes my laughter to resurface. I can’t take him seriously. Not in the middle of a dingy roller rink with neon stripes painted on the wall.

Tilting his head down, he stares at me through lowered lashes and grazes a knuckle along my jaw. “From across the room, I knew you were the one. A piece of my heart had always been missing, and I found it the moment I saw you smile.”