Page 61 of Shatter

"I'm riding a bike!" I shout, not giving a shit if the world hears me. The wind caresses my face, and my hair flutters against my neck as I pick up speed. It's thrilling. It's incredible. It's a feeling of pride and accomplishment and freedom.

Overwhelmed, I squeeze the brake too quickly and the bike shutters to a stop, throwing my weight forward. I slam my feet to the pavement and abandon the bike. I'll feel bad if I scuffed it up later. Right now I need him. I run to Harrison as fast as I can before launching myself into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist.

I grip his face in my hands and slam my lips against his.

Fuck waiting until we're home. Fuck letting him do anything. I devour his face like a madwoman.

And, of course, he takes it. Strong arms wrap around me, holding me safe, as he gives back as good as he gets.

When my emotions ebb, and we're struggling to breathe, he pulls back, panting, searching my eyes for something.

Whatever he finds there causes a smile to tug up his handsome lips.

"We're not done yet, Princess."

I let him set me down on wobbly legs. There is nothing I wouldn't do for this man. If he wants to make today special, then I'm going to let him.

"Okay, then, what's next?"

"I have a crossword puzzle book in the car," he hooks a thumb over his shoulder at his Range Rover. "... or we can play pickleball," he says, motioning to the net.

"Pickleball?"

"Yeah. I had to look up the rules. It's basically mini-tennis."

He took time out of his day to learn the rules of a sport so he could check something off my list.

God, I love this man.

Holy shit. I love him. I'm in love with him. It's no longer that I'm falling for him. Or that I want to build a future with him. In this moment I know I'll never go back to a life without him. He's it for me. I think back to what Declan said. It's the little things. It's the small moments that don't seem to matter, but then you wake up one morning and can't imagine your life without that person. It's choosing them every day. It's deciding that no matter what happens in the future, your person will always come first.

I can't imagine my life without Harrison. I don't want to. I won't accept a future where we aren't this to each other. Where we don't wake up wrapped in each other every morning, or cuddle on the couch together. I'm going to choose him every day. No matter what happens in the future, I will always run to him.

So for the next hour, I let him teach me how to play, and laugh when he lets me win.

"I'm in love with him," I blurt as soon as the door to the brownstone opens.

Serenity's eyes widen, but so does her smile.

"Come in and tell us everything," she replies, opening her door wider and ushering me in.

I hand her a bottle of Riesling that Cass recommended before marching over to where Nell is sitting on the couch and thrusting my hands towards June, making grabby hands.

"Is it too early to call her my niece?"

Nell simply laughs and hands her squealing baby over.

"Not if you're in love with our Harrison. Welcome to the family, sis."

I gather the baby in my arms and drop my nose to her hair, sniffing in her scent like a drug addict.

Serenity comes back into the kitchen, handing me a glass of the wine I brought.

Cass is sitting on the other couch, a glass already in front of her.

I sit, chug three swallows of my wine before setting it down on the table out of June's reach.

A chubby hand smacks my cheek as I word-vomit.