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She breathes slowly, a choked laugh slipping from her lips. “How the hell do you know that? I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone.”
“That’s not true.”
“What are you on about?”
“Remember the second year you came?” She nods, her brow furrowing and a frown marring her beautiful face. “You got super wine-drunk with Bailey on Christmas Eve, and she went to bed, but you couldn’t sleep.”
“I barely remember that night,” she says.
“Are you surprised? I think you polished off a good five bottles between you.”
“Yeah, that I remember. It was the hangover from hell.” She laughs. “I’m honestly surprised we didn’t have to have our stomachs pumped.”
“Anyway, I found you out on the porch, sitting on the swing, and there was this bright, beautiful smile on your face. And then you turned to me and said ‘I think I’ve found it.’”
“Home…” she breathes, her eyes lighting up. “I told you I’d found home.” I nod and reach my hand out to find her fingers. She links our hands, squeezing tightly. “I can’t believe I forgot about that, but you remembered.”
“I remember everything about you, Ryan Parker.”
“I’m starting to see that.” She chuckles softly. “I guess we need to order some dessert.”
“Do we?” I raise a brow, wondering where she’s going with this.
“Yup. ’Cause now I get to show off all the things I know about you.”
“This will be interesting. Okay … what’s my favourite colour?”
“Most people would say black, but it’s purple.” She snorts, and over the next hour and a half, we keep the game going. It turns out, Ryan knows as much about me as I do her. She may have been pretending for the last few years, but after tonight, I’ve no doubts that Ryan Parker is mine, and it won’t be long before I get to show that off to the world.
“Such a gentleman,” she teases later, when I pull the car door open for her.
“I’ve been waiting for years to flex my gentleman card, so you’re going to let me without complaint.”
“I guess I can do that.” She smiles and presses up onto her tiptoes to claim my lips in a sweet kiss before she leans against the open frame. “Surely you’ve flexed with other women before, though? Dates and whatnot?”
I snort, shaking my head at her naivety. It’s adorable. “When have you ever known me to date, Ry?”
“Well, there was…” She turns to me sharply, a frown on her lips. “You don’t date.”
I smile. “Nope.”
“Like, youneverdate,” she rambles, her hands finding my waist as she leans into me. “I can’t even remember the last time you’ve spoken to a girl. And I know you said you haven’t been withanyone for the last two years, but even before that. I don’t think I’ve ever known you to have a girlfriend.”
“Maybe because I never have, Ry. Unless you count Mary back in secondary school, but that lasted approximately three days, until she decided she preferred Kai over me and chose him to be her next boyfriend. Nearly ruined our lifelong friendship, but we survived. I won’t lie and say I haven’t been with women over the years when I was young and stupid, but nothing that ever mattered.”
“Only me?” she breathes, echoing the sentiments I whispered to her on Saturday night, and a bright, melodic laugh slips past her lips.
“Only you, Ry,” I say, pressing my forehead to hers. “It wasalwaysyou.”
11
Chase
Ryanslipsfrommyhold, pressing a lingering kiss to my lips before sliding from the bed.
I pull in a deep breath and force my eyes open as she gathers her discarded clothing from the floor and tugs her dress over her head. She grins, then steps softly to the door before peeling it open an inch and peeking her head around the wood.
“You’re not going to stick around and say good morning?” I ask her, my voice husky with sleep. “It could even be averygoodmorning if you shut that door and get your arse back into bed.”
