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"It won't always be, but we will be together. And when we have those hard days, we know how to calm each other down."
Tilting my head up, I pressed my lips to his and nodded. There was no use arguing something I had no control over. Every part of me wanted him, and even though my heart was scared of being hurt again, I knew deep down that he wasn't the one who broke me, and he never would be.
"I love you," he muttered quietly against my forehead as he continued to place kisses on me. "I love you so much."
With those three little words finally sinking in, all the fears I had moments before were gone. Knowing he felt the way I did, that my love for him was reciprocated past our physical connection, and that he would have never said those words unless he meant them with all his heart.
"I love you, too."
"I was hoping you'd say that, because I need you to love me."
Scooping me into his arms, he spun me around and pressed his lips to mine again. Drops of rain started coming down on us, but we weren't moving. The waves had gotten more aggressive and crashed at our feet, soaking us and threatening to push us over in the sand.
"I got you," Tripp scooped me up into his arms. "I've always got you, baby."
"I wish I had met you tomorrow," I muttered in his ear as he carried me off the beach. He jerked back, looking at me like there was a punchline, so I giggled and finished my thought. "Because I'm having dinner with my mom tonight and if I had met you tomorrow, I wouldn't have to leave you right now."
"I'll wait up," he smiled, kissing me again.
* * *
"I'm glad we are making a point to do this more often," I told my mom as the waiter dropped our drinks off.
"Me too, dear," she smiled. "Your father sends his love."
She always spoke like a debutant, and I tried not to roll my eyes. If the last few weeks had taught me anything, though, it was people who coped and dealt with things in their own way. If acting like she had it all together helped her get through the days, then who was I to judge?
I'm sure if she knew I had Hunter watch Tripp fuck me just to be petty, then she would be trying not to roll her eyes as well. If she knew everything Colton had done to try to be with Hunter, she would probably need to be medicated. So, I was taking her quirks in stride and embracing them rather than avoiding her altogether.
"Hey," I said excitedly. "My boss was able to get two tickets to the football game so you can take Dad."
"Oh dear," she clapped. "That's wonderful. Thank you."
The rest of dinner was lovely, and by accepting her little quirks, I actually found her enjoyable to be around. I knew she kept waiting for me to tell her to drop my dad into the ocean or kick him out once and for all, but I didn't, and I never would again.
"Have you heard from your brother?" she asked as we pushed our plates away from us, stuffed full of the best Cuban food in Miami.
"Not in a few days," I admitted, still careful not to overshare. Just like my life was mine, and her life was hers, Colton's was his own, and his stories were his.
"He normally comes for dinner a few days a week and I haven't gotten anything more than a text."
"He's probably busy, Mom. A good looking college kid, living on campus," I laughed. "There will be times he's not worried about food."
"Well there will never be a time I'm not worried about him. He has a lot of secrets that he thinks we are blind to, and I keep waiting for him to talk to me. Every time he disappears for a few days, I worry that he's upset or hiding."
Holy shit. My adult self really didn't give my mom enough credit. She knew. She freaking knew, and she was smart enough to mention it to me with such subtlety that if I didn't know, I wouldn't be suspicious of anything.
She gave me a quick wink and leaned forward, changing the subject while we waited for our check. "Well, now that Hunter has left town again, are you going to continue seeing that new guy?"
"Even if Hunter stayed in town, I'd be seeing Tripp. He told me he loved me today and is waiting for me to come over after we finish here."
"What?" she nearly screamed, losing her poise. "What are you doing here? If a man tells you he loves you, that means—"
"I know, Mom," I laughed, even though I had no idea what she was going to say. "As soon as we leave, I'm going to—"
"Check please!"
ChapterForty-Seven
