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He yells back to me. “He’s looking at our car in the garage. He’s making a phone call.”
I hear my phone ding inside. Ethan yells, “To Jake! He’s calling Jake. You got a text from Meg.” I don’t want to come inside and miss him. I stay in place, sun in my face, ocean spray filling me with hope.
“Read me the text, E.”
“Jake sent him our forwarding address. That’s bussing.” I laugh as he tries to be cool. He continues narrating Liam’s movements. “He’s coming over to the front door.” I turn to go inside. “No, he’s going back. He’s in his house. He’s coming back to the deck.” I pivot back to my place and scramble into position. This time I’m leaning on the railing, facing his deck, but looking out at the ocean still. You know, like casual stalking.
“Come out here.” Ethan runs out of the house, sits down, and puts his feet up on the deck. He stretches out with his hands behind his head. He looks over as Liam reemerges onto the deck.
“Howdy, neighbor,” Ethan says with a big cheesy grin.
He stares. He doesn’t say a thing. He paces the deck, and Ethan and I giggle. I’m so nervous and sweaty. I’m so scared about our future, but I’m more scared he won’t be in it. Finally, he comes to the edge of the deck and leans over. I lean over ours, our faces close. There’s, like, zero space between these houses.
“How long are you staying?” He’s still gruff.
I say, “Forever. How about you?”
He grins and licks his lips.
Ethan pipes up, “Can you just kiss and then we can all live happily ever fucking after, already?”
We both turn to him in unison. “Language.”
He throws his hands up and walks inside.
Liam leans farther. My face snaps back to his. “Forever, huh?” he says.
“It seems there’s nothing in my life quite as important as that. So I got rid of a bunch of boxes and rules. I even sold my walls. I sold everything. I blurred, smudged, and pissed all over every line and barrier I had. I thought it was time to do this one selfish thing.”
“One thing? What’s that?” His eyes aren’t sad. They’re dancing and mischievous. They’re the eyes I saw when he opened his front door to me last Christmas.
I bite my lip, and he watches. Then I tap my finger on my chin. “Hmm. The one thing I did for me? I chose forever with you. I decided to tell you to stop running away, that all my pieces and parts are completely and utterly yours. I wanted to give up everything in order to get the only thing that matters. What do you say?”
He stares at me, holding on to the last little bit of safety—deciding whether I’m worth the risk.
I lean forward again. Only the salt perfumed air is between us. “I dare you.”
“Double-dog dare me?” He grins.
I whisper against his lips, “I double-dog dare you to say whatever you’re thinking.”
“Marry me.”
I gasp, and my answer gets swallowed by his lips. But he already knows it’s yes. It’s always been yes.
“Thank fucking God,” Ethan shouts.
He murmurs against my lips, “I’m going to let him have that one.”
I grin as I fall into the future that’s always been there. It just took me a while to embrace it. I pull back from his soft lips and aggressively sexy tongue.
“And you’re ok with all of this? I know you like him better, but we’re a package deal.”
He strokes my face lightly. He moves his lips close to mine again. He nips at my neck, and the railings are starting to piss me off as we’re stretched between the two houses still.
His lips find my ear, and he whispers as he nips gently, “You’re not a package. You two are a present. My present, past, and future. I love you, Bella.”
“I’ve always loved you, Liam, and I always will.”
