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CHAPTEREIGHT
KYLER
ONE MONTH LATER
My stomach twistedinto a knot as I knocked on Ian’s front door.
His sister, Izzie, was home from the University of Kansas for the weekend, so his parents – well, his dad and his dad’s long-term girlfriend – had invited me over for dinner. It was my first time meeting his family, and I was beyond nervous.
Ian answered the door with an ear-splitting grin on his face and pulled me into a kiss.
That part was getting easier. The letting him touch me part. There had been a couple of times when I’d frozen while we were kissing and he’d touched me somewhere I wasn’t expecting, or when he forgot and snuck up behind me, but it happened a lot less now.
If I was being honest with myself, my feelings for him were quickly moving from “like” territory into “love” territory. And I wanted to be able to let that last little bit of the wall around my heart crumble away and give in. I wanted to trust him, and maybe to actually tell him about what happened to me.
But something was holding me back, telling me that this was too good to be true and that I’d just end up crashing and burning. Or that when he found out, he wouldn’t be able to handle it and he’d break up with me. Dating a shy girl who took a while to come out of her shell was one thing. Dating someone who’d been through what I had was something else entirely.
“Hey, baby,” he said, his lips still touching mine.
“Hi,” I chuckled awkwardly. “I know I’m a little early.”
“You think I’ll complain about getting more time with you?” he teased, pecking my lips again.
I giggled.
“Come on in.” He stepped to the side, letting me walk into the house.
As soon as Ian shut the door behind me, the huge Pitbull I’d only seen pictures of until now came barreling toward me at full speed and jumped up, his front paws landing on my shoulders.
“Down, Serge,” he scolded as he yanked Sergio down by his harness. “Sorry.Someonedoesn’t know his own strength.”
“It’s okay,” I chuckled, holding my hand out so the dog could smell me. “Hi, Sergio. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Sergio sniffed my hand and then let me pet him and scratch behind his ears.
“I’m right behind you, baby,” Ian murmured, sliding his arms around my waist and kissing my shoulder. He’d figured out that telling me he was behind me before he touched me was one way to avoid a meltdown, and now it was almost second nature to him. “Today went by so slow. All I could think about was seeing you.”
I smiled and turned around. He kissed me again, a kiss that probably wasn’t appropriate for a “meet the family” situation. But I couldn’t find it in me to stop him. His kisses were addictive.
“Ian, comeon. At least save sucking her face off forafterdinner,” I heard a girl’s voice say.
Ian backed up, turning a little red, but smiling. He kissed my nose, then looked in the direction the voice had come from.
“Because I haven’t seen way worse from you, Iz,” he teased.
“Touché,” she chuckled. “So, are you going to introduce me, or do I have to do it myself?”
“Ky, this is my big sister, Izzie. Iz, this is my girlfriend, Kyler,” Ian sighed.
Izzie grinned. “Hey, Kyler. Nice to finally meet the girl who’s stolen my baby bro’s heart.”
Ian turned bright red, and I chuckled and leaned against him. He squeezed me tight and planted a kiss on my hairline.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” I told her as I shook her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re at KU studying theater design, right?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I hear you’re in the A/V Club?”
“Yep. I make short films in my spare time. I’ve kind of let that slide this year, though. Focusing on my grades so I can get a scholarship. KU’s actually my top choice for a school.”
