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I can barely breathe. “Landon . . .”
He grabs the pendant of the necklace he bought me that I never go without. “I love you, Paxtyn. You’re the girl that got me. Long-distance shit doesn’t work for long. Of the two of us, I’m the more flexible one. I have to work. I don’t have to live in Mississippi. If you’re in California, California is where I want to be.”
My arms lock around his neck, and I squeeze, hard, unable to let go as my emotions consume me in a way I hate, tears rolling down my face. Who the fuck does this for a high school girl? I need to get a grip. I lean back, wiping my face. “Ourdog sounds much better. I think a fifty-fifty split of Murphy is wise. He can stay with me when you’re gone.”
He shoves my hands out of the way and finishes drying my face, a smile on his. “I knew you were only with me for my dog.”
I laugh, unable to hold it back. And that’s what I love about him the most. He gets me. I get him. When things are too much, there is one constant that will always remain the same. Games. We always revert to games. “Totally with you for your dog . . . and your dick.”
He slaps my ass seconds later. “Get dressed. I’m hungry and I need more room for what I have planned for you. I’m on a time limit. Apparently, you have to buy a prom dress after school.”
Navy. The little bitch was in on all of this. I love her.
Prom . . .
“Landon, seriously, I don’t care about prom. I know you’re past that phase of your life and I’m okay with it.”
Before I can add anything to that he grabs my face between both of his hands, holding my attention. “You remember that talk we had about how I’ll still love you at twenty-seven?” I stare at him, not answering anything, because I’ll never forget that night. It was the first time he admitted tomethathe loved me. Things have gotten easier since. “There will be a brain full of memories to get us to that point. We do the important things. In order. One day, when you sign your name to match mine and are raising our kids, there will be no regrets because we skipped the important shit.”
My heart feels so swollen, warm, and full of love. It’s hard to believe we’ve come this far when I really sit and think about it. “You’re a surprise, Landon Scott.”
He kisses me lightly. “I was just raised right. Don’t tell my mom. I’m not ready to let her off the hook just yet, even though I can tell it’s coming. You broke me. I’m tired of being angry.”
And if I didn’t already love him enough . . . “That makes me happy. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s what makes us human. She deserves your forgiveness. I think, deep down, she’s sad. I can see it when she looks at you.”
He breathes out a sigh. “I know. I’m not the only surprise. She loves you. She asks about you every time she texts or calls me.”
My lips separate, my teeth showing through the happiness. I’m not going to verbalize how relieved that makes me. I want his family to like me. His sister texts me from time to time. I even get video calls from Delaney, and Dylan chimes in too. It always makes my day.
I change the subject by rolling off him onto the seat and pull my panties back on as he pulls up and fastens his jeans, then my crop pants follow, before putting my sandals back on. “I can’t believe I just had sex with you in the high school parking lot. Will you hook my bra straps?”
He chuckles but reaches under the back of my shirt and hooks both straps together. My boobs are way too big to go without. Only girls with smaller cup sizes have that luxury. “Says the girl who slayed through her own virginity with my dick.”
I swivel, chicken peck his lips, and climb over the center console into the passenger seat, knowing he’ll want to drive. Landon doesn’t like being driven by a girl. I kind of like that he doesn’t. And I know Landon well enough now that I know he got a ride here so we didn’t drive back separate.
He casually gets out of the back like nothing is amiss and into the driver’s seat, instantly adjusting the seat distance from the gas pedal to accommodate his longer body, and then starts the engine. “What can I say, this extremely hot guy kept eying me like he was mind fucking me. I’d never been that attracted to someone, so I said to hell with it. I had a feeling you wouldn’t have touched me first.” I remember he did actually stick a finger in. “Or gone that far, at least.”
He smiles at me, the surprise in his eyes. He really is a good-looking guy. “You noticed that, huh? And here I thought I was being sly.”
“I only noticed because I was doing it too,” I admit.
He leans over and kisses me, then shifts into drive. “I was a goner when you dropped the panties in the basement. I may have talked a lot of shit, but I never expected you to actually strip. Pretty sure we would’ve fucked at some point after that regardless of who touched who first.”
I miss him so much when he’s at work. “I’ll do the prom thing if you’ll come dress shopping with us. You just got here.”
“Okay. I have to get fitted for a tux anyway, but I draw the line at hair and nails when you do that. I’ll find masculine shit to do.”
I’ll just have to make those appointments quick then . . .
I realize he’s still idling in the parking space, reminding me. I roll my eyes before pulling my seatbelt across my body, and then click it into the buckle. He’s already wearing his. The rule is both or neither. “Happy now?”
He doesn’t move, though, just looks at me. “Riggan lost a girl in a car accident. It was bad enough seeing it from the outside and losing a friend. We all grew up with her. He was in love with her. I don’t want to personally know what it’s like to be in his shoes, Paxtyn, especially not with you. Always wear a seatbelt. You’re more likely to survive with one than without if something happens.”
My sarcasm feels immature now, and all I can say as I glance out the windshield is, “Okay.”
But then he grabs my hand and laces his fingers with mine, causing me to look at him. Holding hands isn’t something we do all that often. It feels more intimate than having sex. I think that’s the case for both of us. “Don’t get mad. Long term goals take premeditated thought. I love you.”
His inside is as beautiful as his exterior. I want him to love me forever. “I’m not mad, but if you don’t drive, I’m about to jump your bones in the car again.”
