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“Explain to me why we had to come here,” Hayley said, but there was no hiding her smile, so he was 80 percent sure he couldn’t fuck this up.
They’d returned to the courtyard. He’d considered the festival, but having that many witnesses was pushing it. With the way his blood was rushing in his ears, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d make it through his impromptu speech without passing out.
“Because I need to say this.”
And surprisingly, he wasn’t as afraid as he thought he’d be. He’d spent so much time picturing this moment with a sick feeling, but it was easy. Loving her came naturally to him.
Hayley’s eyes darted around quickly, a flash of panic he’d never seen before crossing her face. “You’re not about to start dancing, are you?”
Laughter bubbled out of him, breaking through the tension. This is why they were perfect together. “No.”
“Thank goodness.”
He held her hands in his, relieved that he wasn’t the only one trembling. No one ever mentioned how fucking scary this was.
“Life isn’t a movie. Sometimes bad things happen. One of us will mess up — probably me, let’s be honest — but I don’t care about any of that. Because when I’m with you, I don’t want to be anywhere else. Good or bad, I want to experience it all, as long as you’re with me.”
Her eyes sparkled, the sun’s glow holding her gently in its light. He took a deep breath. He was a writer with a flair for dramatics; of course he could do this. He’d give her the best damn speech she’d ever heard.
Or he’d embarrass himself and never be able to show his face again, becoming a reclusive writer haunted by his own past, like the protagonist of a made for TV thriller… but either way, it would be memorable.
It would certainly make a good story to tell their grandkids someday.
“The thought of not seeing you tomorrow or the day after that is painful to me. Every minute I spend not kissing you, I feel like I’m going to die. And this probably isn’t the speech you’ve dreamed of, but if you let me, I will spend our lives rewriting it.”
Hayley curled her fingers around his, a lifeline.
“You’ve spent all week telling me to stop overthinking it. To feel. And shit, I have no idea what I’m doing, but I know I can do that, because since the day I met you, I’ve done nothing but feel. I can’t stop. You only need to walk into a room, and I’m done for. I want the happily ever after, and I’ll embrace every cheesy cliché there is if it means even one extra minute with you.”
Harrison willed his pulse to slow. He only needed to get through the next few terrifying minutes, and then he could think about having a heart attack.
“I’m in love with you. I can’t let you leave without telling you that. The only thing I need to know now is how you feel.”
A myriad of emotions played over her features, but her eyes never strayed from his. Once, twice, her mouth opened and shut, words aborted before they could form.
“Harry,” she said, the sound breaking halfway. “You really should have warned me. I could have written something in advance. Of course I love you.”
“Say it again.”
“I love you,” she said, beaming. “Don’t you believe me?”
“I do, even if I don’t understand it. I’m messy and bitter and opinionated.”
“Nobody’s perfect,” she joked.
“You are.”
She snorted. “I’m the furthest thing from perfect, and you know it. But that’s why we work so well together.”
“You’re not thinking clearly. All this romance is clouding your mind.”
It didn’t matter that they were outside, in the middle of this courtyard, where anyone could see him make a fool of himself. For her, he’d do anything, even if he knew Lee and Emilia would never let him live this moment down.
Hayley slid her a hand around his neck, her touch gentle, reassuring.
“I’m not going anywhere, you know. And I don’t want you any other way.”
