AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ready…?”
My fingers tangle in his hair. “I’ve missed you so much, Liam. I’ve missed talking to you and laughing with you. I’ve missed cooking with you. I’ve missed watchingSword and Legends. I’ve missed just being around you. Being close to you. I’ve been so scared to be vulnerable and open my heart to the possibility of us because of what it might do to us. But the truth is, the only thing I want is to be close to you. Closer than we’ve ever been.”
He stares at me with nothing but shock and confusion and disbelief and joy. So many emotions they make my head spin.
I giggle softly. “You’re staring at me like I’m an alien.”
He shakes his head. “Sorry. I’m just so…I feel like I’m in a dream.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t think...I mean, I hoped…” He sighs. “I didn’t know if you’d ever forgive me.”
“Of course I forgive you. If you hadn’t written me those letters, you and I would still be stuck in the friend zone. You were the brave one to take the first step. I was content to just continue living in my protective bubble. But I don’t want to be so safe anymore. I want to put my heart at risk. Because the reward could be so sweet.”
He presses his cheek to mine, and the heat of his skin causes a new spark to travel down my spine. “I’m so glad, Chloe. You have no idea how happy I am right now. I swear I’ll never hurt you again.”
“I know you won’t.”
“So does that mean…? I mean, are you ready to…?”
“Can we take things slow?” I ask. “I’m worried we might ruin things if we jump into something.”
“Of course. Whatever pace you need. I have all the time in the world because all I need is you, Chloe.” He presses his forehead to mine. “You’ve just made me the happiest person in the world.”
I smile up at him as I play with his hair again. “You’ve made me the happiest person in the world, too.”
Chapter Forty
Liam
I pace near my bedroom door as I wait for Chloe to arrive. We’re going to bingeSwords and Legends. Feels like forever since we watched the show.
I’ve been checking and rechecking my room to make sure it’s perfect. That the snacks and drinks are okay, the temperature in the room is comfortable, that it doesn’t smell and isn’t too messy.
I’m so excited she wants to be close to me again. And like I told her, I’m ready and willing to take things slow.
When the doorbell rings, I nearly shoot to the ceiling. She’s here!
I swallow a million times, trying to regulate my breathing and stop my hands from shaking.
With my heart slamming against my chest, I open the door. Chloe stands there with an adorable smile on her face, her eyes shining.
“Hi,” she says with a shy giggle.
“Hi.”
We just stand there.
She giggles again. “Can I come in?”
“What? Oh, yeah. Of course you can. Sorry. I’m a little nervous.”
She smiles as she walks into the house and I reach over her to shut the door. I get a whiff of her scent. Maybe her shampoo? It’s a berry flavor.
“I’m nervous, too,” she admits. “But we shouldn’t be.”
“Yeah, I know. I want today to be perfect.”
