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Sam was already farther down the trail, making a beeline for the swings. My chest squeezed tight. That was where she’d confessed her past that night, not so long ago. Where she’d shared a part of herself she didn’t offer others.
I only hoped that would continue today.
I switched to a light jog, even though my muscles screamed out at the sudden movement. Not the best idea the day after a fight, but the need to talk to Sam, to tell her everything, burned inside me with an intensity I could no longer deny.
Sam stopped by the closest swing and waited for me. The sun gleamed on her dark brown hair and intensified the brightness of her tan skin. Even with her puffy eyes, the inside-out tank top, and the sweats she’d tossed on, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Butterflies exploded in my chest.
I skidded to a halt in front of her. We were inches apart, and I was dying to close the space between us and claim her lips. However, words had to come first.
“Sit.” She gestured. “You should be resting, not running around.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, the hope almost suffocating. “Only if you do too.”
She shook her head and plunked into the seat, and I followed suit. I wanted to drape myself all over her, but I kept some space between us. I needed every ounce of courage I could summon right now. My nails curled into my thighs, and I stared down at them. If I was looking at Sam and her pretty fucking face, I wasn’t sure I could get the words out.
“I want you,” I blurted out. “Fuck, I think I’ve wanted you forever, but these past few weeks—they’re everything I’d ever dreamed of and more.” My heart thundered so loud it drowned out even the distant traffic.
“What does that mean?” Sam whispered.
I looked up now. Her dark eyes were wide and bleeding vulnerability. Her lower lip trembled, and fuck, she might be older and more experienced than me, but in that moment, I wanted to wrap her up in a blanket and tell her everything would be okay. She’d been wrecked, betrayed by those she’d trusted most—of course she’d believed the worst.
“It means I want you as my girlfriend, my partner, whatever I can get,” I said, the words surprisingly firm. “It means I’m falling in love with you, Samantha Taylor.”
My shoulders tightened, and I ducked my head, bracing for the blow.
Quiet settled between us, and I didn’t dare look up and see the rejection in her eyes.
“You’ve got to be crazy,” Sam said.
“I mean, a little.” I peeked through my eyelashes.
The most beautiful grin lit her eyes, transforming her features. She was radiant, and the breath snagged in my throat.
“Fuck, I’m falling for you too, Ames.” Her voice was thick with emotion, and my chest seized.
Her words were ones I’d imagined a thousand times over but had never expected to hear.
“Dammit, c’mere.” She closed the space between us.
Her lips coasted across mine, and the electricity sparking between us was enough to make my legs tremble. Relief poured over me in a ferocious wave. Thank god I was sitting. I leaned into the kiss, a soft moan escaping as she fisted my hair. Her tight, possessive grip sent a thrill through me, hitting right between my legs. Even more than lust, though, my heart was as buoyant as the fluffy clouds in the perfect blue sky.
The early morning sun shone across my back, bright and warm, the joy rising inside me higher. The breeze brought the sharp scent of the city tumbling by and mingled with Sam’s sweetness. For a moment, the only thing that existed was me and my girl—goddamn mine.
She kissed me with the same passion I felt stirring inside me. Relief that we were here together after everything that had happened coursed through me.
I didn’t know how the chips would fall with Nina, and hell, I couldn’t predict the future for Sam and me. However, the connection between us was rare enough to protect. Rare enough to cherish.
Sam finally pulled back, releasing my hair. “I never expected you to come for me.”
I lifted my brow. “Then you must not know me well.”
She rested her hands over mine, and I savored the power of a simple touch between us. “Nina’s your best friend. I’m terrified one day you’ll wake up and resent me for ruining things with her.”
I shook my head. “I apologized for not telling her about you, but I’m not sorry I fell for you. If she genuinely has an issue with that, she isn’t the person I thought she was.”
Sam chewed on her lower lip. “What did she say?”
“I think the two of you need to talk,” I said. Sam huffed out a breath, but I lifted my hands. “If she’s still at my apartment, she’s willing to listen. Look, I’ve seen how much losing your family sliced you up—if there’s the chance for at least some closure with Nina, why not take it?”
