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“W-What is it?” he stutters, blue eyes glazed with lust.
“You’re loving me in the light.”
He looks around, the sun glowing around us, strangers passing by and grins, his lips pulling up more on one corner.
“Well, would you look at that.”
Then, he kisses me again, and I know without a doubt that we’ll never have to hide in the dark again.
Chapter Eighty-Three
After I force Lachlan to take a selfie with me, our first photo together as a couple, he leads me to a diner down the block. Inside, we grab a booth. I’m hardly hungry, but I know we need to catch up. There’s so much to say, but there are no words on my tongue. I want to stare at him, study the minute details that have changed in our time apart.
A waitress comes over and Lachlan asks for two coffees to start.
He laces his fingers together, looking across at me the same way I can’t help but stare at him.
I break the silence first. “When did you figure out about the Space Needle?”
I never told him about discovering myself in the photo in his office, but we wouldn’t be here right now if he hadn’t noticed it too.
“The same day you did. When I came into my office you were looking at the photo and you seemed as if you’d seen a ghost. Your skin was pale, almost clammy. When I looked at the photo I didn’t notice it at first and put it away, but when you left for class, I sat there studying it. It was hard to make out your details, but I could tell it was you. I couldn’t believe it, to be honest.” He removes his hat from his head, scratching at his scalp. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? All those years ago and here we are now?”
“It’s surreal.”
I smile when the waitress sets down our coffees, promptly pouring a mountain of sugar and creamer in mine.
Tapping my fingers against the white ceramic mug, I say, “I think you should know, those texts I sent saying I hated you … I never actually felt that way.”
“It would be okay if you did. You didn’t have to turn up today.” He flicks his fingers lazily, acting very blasé but I can see through him, that he was terrified of what it would mean if I didn’t.
“I threw your letter away,” I admit, feeling a bit foolish. “Ansel found it and read it after I tossed it while we were in Paris. He gave it back to me before I got on the plane to return home. It reaffirmed for me the reasons I was coming back.” Shaking my head, a small laugh leaves me. “I can’t believe I took that letter with me, to all those different countries. I don’t know why but I couldn’t leave it at Sage’s. My therapist would probably say something cheesy about how it was all I had left of you and I needed it close.”
“I’m sorry I had to leave you.” He places his hand over mine on the table. “You’re seeing a therapist, though?”
“Yeah, she’s great. It was tough in the beginning but it’s been easier to open up to her than I expected. It’s helping a lot.” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, suddenly feeling nervous. I still don’t like to talk about my therapy and I hate that I feel some kind of shame for it, because there’s nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to getting the help you desperately need. “I’m driving again, got my own place too.” He grins at that news. “Oh, and I have a cat. Wanna see?”
Before he can answer I pull my phone out and show him a picture of Tally.
“She’s adorable.” His smile lights up his whole face.
“Think Zeppelin would get along with her?”
“He’d love her.”
“Wait, are you living in Seattle now?”
The thought suddenly occurs to me that he might’ve moved here.
He shakes his head. “I’m still in Utah, just outside the city. I bought a house there, it’s small but it’s home. What about you?”
“I’m renting an apartment in the city near the university.”
“Are you taking classes?” He arches a brow, looking pleased.
“I start in the fall.”
“Have you decided what you want to do?”
