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“I know,” I whispered back, gently reaching forward to grab my bookmark, placing it in the margin and closing the book, pulling it close to my chest.
“Hey, um.” He looked down at his hands, picking at his fingernails, obviously trying to keep his eyes focused on something else. I narrowed my eyes and waited for him to finish his thought. “Do you remember that day we went and got coffee after you got your test result?” Keeping his head down, he moved his eyes to look at me.
I chuckled at myself. The memory of feeling as if the world was over all because of a number on a screen, one simple failed test. Milo was the one who I called. If it wasn’t for that day, I wouldn’t be sitting right here, and yes…I remembered everything about that day.
“Of course,” I said simply.
Milo sighed. “You were going to ask me a question…”
His voice was soft, basically a whisper. His eyes met mine, and my mind began to churn. Just like every other detail, I knew. I knew the question he was asking about, and I knew that I still wanted to hear the answer from him. I had never brought myself to ask it, but now, here with him, our relationship becoming closer and closer…I felt as if I could.
“You had said that…” I stammered, taking a deep breath, trying to find the words, “I was a reason for pulling you out of darkness, and I wanted to know why it was me when we clearly had no spark.”
Milo pinched his brow and sat up a little straighter. “We had spark. We definitely had a spark. And…” He took a deep breath. “You were the reason I smiled again. After so long of being stuck with nothing to remind me thatlifewas still happening,you entered my life, wearing that blue skirt, your hair a lot shorter than it is now, tucked behind your ears, and that smile. Madeline your smile, it mademewant to smile again. It made me want tobeginagain.”
“You remembered what I was wearing?” I asked shyly, a grin tugging at my lips.
Milo chuckled at himself. “Of course. You were the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. It was ingrained in my brain.”
“Why did we lose that spark?”
“Because I apparently couldn’t kiss.” Milo’s smile grew as he sat up a little straighter, rubbing his hands on his thighs.
“I think”—I shifted—“we rushed into that first kiss. If we had taken our time, found that perfectfirst kissmoment, I think it would have ended differently for us.”
“Ended?” Milo furrowed his brow.
“Began?” I suggested instead.
Each part of us was a new beginning, beginnings to be remembered and to hold onto. I was never going to let these moments pass again.
“We just need to really begin…” I sighed, lifting my gaze to meet him, finding that his eyes had never left me. Milo sat like a stone, fixated on my eyes, my hair, my lips—all of me.
“Madeline, I…”
“Milo”—I sat forward, my book falling on my lap as I reached out for his hands—“I don’t want to lose any of this. During this…this…”
“Custody battle,” he groaned.
I heaved a sigh. “No matter what happens, Milo, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I promise to stay away from Hannah from now on, and if she doesn't want me around, then…I’ll stay back but I’m not going anywhere. I want this. I want this life. I want to be in Holly’s life, and I want your dad to keep tossing a ball for Niko and I want…” I paused, biting my bottom lip. “I want you, Milo. It took me long enough to figure it out, but…you’re it.”
Milo let out a breath. “I want you more than anything, Madeline. I meant every word.” He reached his hand up and cupped my face, his fingers intertwining with my hair. “I don’t want anything to get in the way ofusanymore. We’ve waited long enough to find each other again…I just…” He ran his thumb against my lip, slowly dropping it to part my lips. “I love you, Madeline.”
I closed the gap between us and kissed him, wrapping my hand around the nape of his neck. The heat between us filled the void, and like a magnet, pulled us toward each other, the force from the pull drawing our bodies together in one fluid motion. Every noise from the street below fizzled out, and soon, the only thing I could focus on was Milo’s breathing as he kissed me, his mouth moving in sync with mine, the kiss only getting deeper and more urgent.
“Madeline…” he whispered against my mouth, “I, um…”
“It’s okay.” I kissed him again. “Like you said, we’ve waited long enough to find each other.”
I trailed my fingers down his chest and slowly began to lift his shirt, my fingers feeling his skin beneath, pulling the fabric up and over his head. I had seen Milo shirtless numerous times, but never like this. Never with a desire and pull like I was feeling now.
His skin twitched as my palm made contact, and his hands moved quicker than I could stop them. They slid up the back of my shirt, his palms gliding up my spine, arching me forward.
“We should probably get off the balcony,” he said, pulling me into his lap, using his hands to hoist me up, standing up from the chair.
“I can walk, you know.” I laughed, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. He stepped through the sliding glass door, maneuvered me in his arms so he could use one of his hands to pull on the curtain, and stepped into the room. The wind rushed the curtain, making it wave as he seamlessly carried me, my legs wrapped around him.
Milo kissed my collar bone. “You’re never leaving my arms again.” Milo kissed my neck. “I’m never letting you go.” Finally, Milo kissed my lips.
