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His chest expanded on a breath, and he dipped down to whisper, “One hour. Meet me in your room in one hour.”
I pulled back, hearing the crescendo of the song end, and stared up at him. “Cade?” I frowned when he wouldn’t look at me, my stomach dipping with nerves. “What’s going on?”
He let go of me, bringing my knuckles up to his lips where he planted a kiss. “One hour,” he demanded and then walked away. He disappeared into the crowd, and just as I was about to follow him to ask him what was happening, Asher gripped on to my hand.
“Dance!” Asher shouted, and I couldn’t turn him down. His little face was beaming as he threw his body into dance moves I had no idea existed, but it didn’t matter how long I stayed on that dance floor, I still couldn’t get Cade’s words and facial expression out of my head.
He’d looked almost angry as he’d told me to meet him in my room, and I couldn’t help wonder if my life was about to be turned upside down. Things had been so great between us this last couple of weeks, but maybe I’d been living in a dream world. What if things weren’t that good? What if he couldn’t handle all the baggage I came with?
“I’m heading up to put the kids to bed.” I whipped my head around to face Lola who was now struggling to hold Asher on her hip.
“I’ll come up with you,” I said and took hold of Belle’s hand. “We were up really early this morning, so I think I may go to my room too.”
We made it out of the main room and toward the elevators, the sound of the band dissipating with each step farther away we took.
“Can you read to me, Aria?” Belle asked as we stepped inside the elevator. Lola clicked the button for the fifth floor, and I clicked the seventh.
“No, missy, you’re going straight to sleep. It’s way past your bedtime,” Lola told her, using her mom voice which meant there was no room for argument.
“But—”
“Nope.” The elevator doors opened, and I moved to the side so they could exit. “We’ll meet you downstairs in the morning, okay?” Lola said to me.
“Okay,” I whispered back, tiredness setting in quickly, but as soon as the doors closed, the thought of seeing Cade any minute had it disappearing.
Butterflies swarmed crazily in my stomach as I made it to the seventh floor, and then I was stepping out of the elevator. I didn’t know why I thought Cade would have been waiting for me, but he wasn’t. The hallway was empty, so I pulled my heels off and walked toward my room.
The key unlocked the door, and I entered the darkened room. The full moon paved my way toward the balcony doors, and I wasn’t able to resist standing out there and watching the clear sky. It had cooled down a lot since this afternoon, but not enough to need a jacket, so I let my heels drop to the carpeted floor and stepped onto the balcony.
My hair was held up with several pins, so I pulled them all out and massaged my scalp, letting the wind flow through the strands. I leaned my arms on the railing and stared out at the view. We were in the middle of the countryside, and all I could see were rolling fields. It was so peaceful out here, but it didn’t compare to the lake. The lake had captured my heart, and I wasn’t sure it would ever let it go.
“I’m not sure whether to stand and watch you, or come and touch you.”
I jumped out of my skin and spun around, my hand flying over my heart to stop it racing so fast. “Cade,” I breathed. “How did you get—”
He held a card in the air and grinned but didn’t move from where he was leaning against the balcony doors. “I let myself in.” He pocketed the card, and I pressed my back against the railing. “You’re so fuckin’ beautiful it hurts.” My cheeks burned from his words and his undivided attention, and I gasped as he stepped forward, making the tiny balcony seem that much smaller. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since you walked down the aisle.” His hand connected with my waist, his fingers gripping me.
“I wish we could have been together down there,” I told him. I wasn’t afraid of admitting I’d missed him today. I wanted him to be able to hold me and smile down at me without worrying about anyone seeing us.
“I do too, baby.” His hand fluttered over my waist and over the side of my chest, finally landing on my collarbone. “It won’t be long.” His voice was lower now as he fingered the chain to the necklace he’d gotten me for my birthday. “Did you know this is a locket?”
I tilted my head to the side. “I thought it was, but I couldn’t find the opening.”
His eyes softened, his body pressing closer to mine as he fiddled with the teardrop of my necklace. “I had an inscription put in there,” he whispered. I moved my head down, but I couldn’t see what he was doing or what it said. “Want me to read it out to you?” he asked.
I placed my hands on his chest, feeling his thumping heart under my palm. Was he nervous? “Yes, please.”
His breath fanned over my face, but he didn’t look down at the necklace as he said, “Me and you, always.” He paused, his hand moving to the side of my neck. “I love you.”
I blinked, sure I’d heard him wrong.
“You…I…”
Cade pressed his forehead against mine. “I love you, Aria. I’m not sure how long I’ve loved you for, but it’s been longer than I realized. I love you more and more each and every day.”
Tears sprung to my eyes, and I couldn’t do a thing to stop them trickling down my cheeks. “I love you too.” I closed my eyes, almost as if it was too much to stare at him. “I love you so much.”
I wasn’t sure what I did to deserve someone like Cade, but I knew I would never let him go. I’d found the kind of love you only ever experienced once in a lifetime.
