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Grace lost track of both time and space as she melted into him. Clearly, the distraction attempt was working wonders. All of her worries and anxieties faded away, and Tommy's arms around her waist made her feel both safe and strong... like nothing in the world could break them if they stayed together like this forever.
But as that thought stole her breath just as thoroughly as Tommy's kiss had, he pulled back slightly, his mouth only inches from hers. "Grace, I'm sorry."
"What?" she breathed, confusion mixing with the alarm that'd already been coursing through her thanks to her own feelings.
"I love you," he said, holding her face in his hands so she couldn't look away.
But as he searched her gaze, fear lanced through her heart, and she pushed him back with both hands. She hadn't needed to use any real force, though, because almost like he saw the move coming, Tommy let go and stepped back with his palms out.
Irrationally angry over being treated like an animal he was afraid to spook, she jabbed a finger into the air between them. "You broke your promise."
Tommy scrubbed his hands over his face, frustration evident in his expression. "Yeah, I did. And I apologized, didn't I? But, Grace, come on. It was like I didn't have a choice!"
She shook her head. "Of course you had a choice."
"I've been falling for you from the moment I met you, Grace," he said, his tone almost grave. "I didn't have a choice."
She scoffed, disbelieving. "That's impossible. Attraction is one thing... and chemistry would make sense, too, but love? That's not how love works. It's impossible."
Crossing his arms over his chest, he took a single step and leaned down. "And you know this because..."
"I don't know how I know it, I just do. It's not a thing."
"Clearly, it is," he argued, exhaling through his nose. "And you feel it, too."
"And you know this because..." she replied, using his own words against him even though it made her feel like a child.
Instead of answering her with his words, Tommy advanced on her, shocking her with a searing kiss that made her mind go blank.
Too soon, he released her, looking into her eyes. "Did you feel that? Because I did, so that's how I know."
"Chemistry," she insisted.
He made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. "That was not chemistry. It was, but... Grace, do you love me too?"
His question—earnestly delivered as it was—felt like a slap. She shook her head and backed away from him, her voice barely above a whisper. "That isn't a fair question. This is all so new to me, and I can't just go from an agreement to have an easy and casual relationship tolovein the blink of an eye."
Tommy's frustration was palpable as he threw his hands up. "It hasn't been theblink of an eye, Grace. It's been spending day after day together, getting closer... Spending time together. Doing normal stuff that any couple would do in a town like this... and it's all coming down to me feeling like I could happily spend the rest of my life like this. Withyou."
"How can you be so sure we'd last that long?" she asked, her voice trembling.
He tilted his head, searching her face for answers. Then he stepped forward again, still watching her carefully... like he was connecting dots or solving a riddle. "Are your parents still together, Grace?"
She lowered her gaze. "No, they got divorced right after I turned eighteen. My mom moved to a small town that reminds me of a cult, and my dad... well, he's probably still traveling around for work, not sparing a thought for either of us.”
Tommy frowned, concern etched across his features. "Why didn't you stay with your mom then?"
"Because I barely knew the woman," she replied, sounding embarrassingly defensive. "I was eighteen, and I wanted to live my own life instead of constantly being at the mercy of my parents' strange life choices."
"Does Snow Hill remind you of that cult-like small town your mom moved to?" Tommy asked, looking almost afraid of what her response might be.
She laughed bitterly. "No. My mom lives in a desert in California, in a glorified tent, and probably dances around the fire every night with twigs in her hair."
At that, Tommy couldn't help but laugh, the tension between them momentarily easing as Grace took in the way his eyes crinkled with amusement. He stepped forward again, capturing her lips just once with a tender peck—like he was punctuating a sentence.
His forehead met hers. "No one can be sure about the future, Grace, but I've never been in love before. And since it feels like losing you would actually kill me, I think that means this is the real deal."
Grace was speechless, but then Tommy let go of her and paced away, his hands on his hips and his head shaking as if he were making fun of himself. "I've also never said—or felt—this many cheesy, dramatic things in my entire life, so you need to bear with me here."
