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The frigid night air feels worse than before when it hits our sweaty skin. “Do you want to get something to eat?” he asks while we wait for his car to warm up a little.
“Sure, there’s a diner two blocks over. They have good breakfast food. Or would you rather hit a drive-thru for burgers?”
“Burgers over waffles? How could you even ask that?”
The diner isn’t very busy. I know from past experience it’ll be full once the bars start to close, but right now we have no problem getting a quiet booth in the back.
“Have I been here before?” Oliver asks, once we have our food and dig in.
“Not with me. I’m not sure, otherwise. It wasn’t one of your regular spots to eat as far as I know. Does it feel familiar?”
“No, not at all. Food is good though.”
After we’re finished, he insists on paying, the same as he did at the bar. When we get home, it’s later than I’ve been out since everything fell apart.
Most of my buzz has worn off, but I feel good. Tired, only in a good way for a change. Once we get inside and out of our coats, I kick my shoes off and turn to see Oliver standing behind me.
“Thanks for tonight. I had a great time.”
He steps up to hug me. “I did too. You can dance your ass off.”
“You’re not too bad yourself.”
When I let go of him and start to step back, he slides his hand around the back of my neck. Before I can think, his lips are on mine. A jolt goes through me, and I part my lips, letting him slip his tongue between them.
I should stop this. Push him away.
Instead, I give in to the urge and brush my tongue over his. It only lasts a few seconds, and I’m shocked how intense one soft, quick kiss can feel. When our mouths part, he looks down at me, and the realization of what I’m doing strikes me.
“Shit,” I curse under my breath, putting some distance between us.
“I’m sorry.” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he shakes his head. “Actually, no I’m not. I’ve wanted to do that for weeks, Ella.” When I don’t answer him right away, he reaches out to lift my chin until I look at him. “I’ve seen you looking at me the same way. Was I wrong?”
It’s not an easy thing to admit. Guilt swells inside my chest. “No, you weren’t wrong, but I can’t, Oliver. You don’t know what you’re doing. You only feel like that because I took care of you. I’d be taking advantage.”
“You know that’s not true. I don’t have to remember who I was to know how I feel. There’s something between us. I felt it the first time I looked in your eyes after I woke from the coma. Before I even knew you. Tell me I’m not the only one who feels it.”
“You’re his brother,” I whisper, feeling my resolve to resist him slipping away.
He brushes my hair back behind my ear. “I’m sorry I can’t remember him. But you’ve told me enough about him for me to know he wouldn’t want you to be unhappy or feel guilty. Not when he’s gone, and I’m here. I don’t know what we were to each other before but you’re everything to me now.”
The turmoil roiling inside me is painful. He must see it in my expression because he leans forward and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry I upset you, but I couldn’t keep it to myself anymore. You don’t need to say anything. We can talk when you’re ready, okay?”
“Okay.” My head is spinning from the kiss, from his words, and the guilt that seeps in more by the second.
“Good night, Ella.” He turns and heads up the stairs, leaving me standing in the living room in a cyclone of emotions.
The long day of work, dancing, and alcohol have worn me out. I’m too tired to think. All I’m going to do is drive myself crazy. Instead, I do my best not to think about the kiss or Oliver’s confession while I get ready for bed.
I’m thankful for the exhaustion that lets me sleep as soon as I crawl under the covers, despite my failure to block out the thoughts.
CHAPTER20
Dark eyes, so close to mine they’re blurry, inch backward until I can focus on the depth of feeling residing in them. All I feel is love and safety. My eyes close at the feel of lips on my forehead. “Alden.”
His smile is everything. “Ella.”
He reaches over and pulls me against him. I’m surrounded in his warmth. He cups my face the way he always does when he’s about to kiss me, and my heart flutters in anticipation.
