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I blushed as he pulled back and shrugged my shoulders. “It’s nothing special.”
“It is to me. No one’s ever done anything like that for me.” I looked up into his eyes and knew he meant every word, so I smiled softly at him and took his hand again.
Scott dragged me to the photo booth next and then insisted on squeezing the panda into every crazy picture we took, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so much or had so much fun. When I had the pictures in my hand, the look on my face and the warm feeling in my chest told me what I’d known but hadn’t acknowledged yet, even to myself. I was falling for Scott. And strangely enough, the idea didn’t scare me all that much.
We ended our night with the mandatory kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel because that’s what always happens in YA books, and we were nothing if not dedicated bookworms, so wehadto do it before we headed home.
I curled up against Scott that night instead of holding his hand like I usually did because I knew I’d end up cuddling against him the moment I was asleep, so I might as well enjoy doing it. I laid my head on Scott’s chest, letting the steady beat of his heart lull me.
“I had a lot of fun today,” I whispered.
“I had fun, too. Did I top Date One?”
I grinned. “Maybe.”
“Hmmm.”
“Don’t worry, Scott. Any and every date with you is perfect.”
“It is because I have you with me.”
I rolled my eyes before closing them and taking a deep breath, letting his warm, chocolate scent wash all over me.
“Good night, Scott.”
“Night, Lu.”
20
Scott
Isautéedtheveggiesas I bobbed my head to the music. I’d decided to give Luke a break from cooking dinner today since I was home early. I heard the shower turn off, and Luke walked into the kitchen just as the song ended.
After the cabin, Luke had stopped covering himself as much all the time. It started off with only wearing short-sleeved shirts at home instead of his full-sleeved ones, but now he even wore them outside sometimes, usually when it was just the two of us heading out. He wore a short sleeved t-shirt with pajama pants, and I smiled at how comfortable he looked. It was October already, and soon enough, the weather would be cold enough to warrant wearing a jumper at all times. I hadn’t thought I’d miss Luke’s oversized jumpers, but I was looking forward to seeing him in them again anyway.
As he smiled back at me, a slow dance number started playing on the speaker, and I turned the heat on low before walking over to Luke and extending my hand. “Dance with me?”
“What?” Luke asked, laughing.
“Come on. It’s one of my favorite songs.”
Luke shook his head but placed his palm in mine. I pulled him closer, curling my arm around his waist and holding his hand in mine. We swayed together, and though we didn’t match the rhythm much, I didn’t really care. Holding him in my arms was enough.
“This song kinda reminds me of us,” I said, and Luke looked up at me curiously.
“We needed just one chance, too. Thank you for giving us that chance, Lu,” I said softly, and his face brightened as he smiled shyly at me.
Pressing a soft kiss on his smiling lips, I pulled away and twirled him around and around until he started laughing. His eyes were closed, his face tilted upward, his wet hair swinging around as he spun and laughed, and I’d never seen anything more beautiful. If I wasn’t so sure already, this was the moment I’d realize I was in love with this gorgeous man. Maybe it was time I told him that.
He pressed himself against me, probably because he’d gotten dizzy, his hands fisting in my shirt as he pressed his face against my neck, panting as he tried to catch his breath. I put my arms around him, pulling him closer against me and never wanting to let go.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered in his ear, pressing a soft kiss in his hair. He sighed against my neck, and I smiled when he didn’t protest. I was glad he’d started believing me when I said that, and I hoped he could see every beautiful thing I saw in him.
Holding him in my arms, I promised myself to show him every day just how much he meant to me, how much I loved him.
Luke pulled back reluctantly and looked up into my eyes with a small smile playing at his lips. “Thanks for that. I can’t remember the last time I felt so...free.”
I leaned down and kissed him in reply, just a soft caress of my lips against his to show him that I understood. I pulled back and ran my fingers through his half-dry hair, tucking it behind his ears. I looked into his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping he’d accept what I was about to say as truth.
