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Her whole body flushed then went cold, causing a stampede of shivers to tear down her spine. “Okay,” she mumbled.
“When I think about the person who makes me the most happy, it’s you.”
She gave him a shy smile. “You make me feel happy, too.”
His hands tightened on her, and he shook his head. “No, this is more than that. I…” He took a deep breath and released it with force. Simon shut his eyes and muttered a curse. When he opened his eyes, they were blazing with what could only be described as desire.
Her heart leaped into her throat. Before she had a chance to react, he released her only to grasp her chin and pull her toward him.
Simon’s kiss was soft and sweet at first. It was almost timid. But that didn’t last long. The second she reacted under his touch, his hold on her grew more urgent. His kiss became frantic and passionate.
It was as if his heart were speaking to her, demanding that she give herself and everything she knew to him. They were two halves of a whole that had been split when the earth began and now, they’d finally found each other.
She pushed her hands into his hair, clinging to him, kissing him with every ounce of her being. This was a man who had always been there for her. He’d been the one to push her toward her dreams no matter how hard it was. He’d lifted her when she couldn’t stand on her own and he’d forced her to be the best version of herself.
Simon was the reason she’d left for college out of state, and he’d been here to pick up the pieces when she’d come back home.
He was the source of her strength, and it wasn’t until this moment she fully appreciated all of that. And when he held her like she was the exact same thing for him, she knew she’d found the spark she’d been looking for.
It had been right under her nose.
Simon was the first to pull back, causing her to nearly fall into him without the support he offered. Her lashes fluttered and she exhaled, despite feeling like there wasn’t any oxygen left in her lungs.
He pressed his forehead against hers. Their breaths mingled in the air between them, that being the only sound besides the usual indication that they were surrounded by nature.
Crickets continued chirping. The breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees. Grass reeds swayed along with everything else as if the world hadn’t completely turned upside down on its axis.
When he didn’t speak after a while, she knew she had to say something.
“Are you okay?” she whispered. He had to be reeling, too. What were they supposed to do now? Pandora’s box had officially been opened and now she wasn’t sure if they’d be able to put everything back.
He nodded, then let out another heavy breath. “Being with you this way is completely terrifying.”
She forced a laugh—what else could she do? “Those words don’t instill a great deal of confidence after being kissed by your best friend.”
Simon hooked his finger beneath her chin again and grazed her lips with his before setting a firm gaze on her. “Out of everyone in my life, I would never want to lose you. That kind of regret would tear me up from the inside out.”
She understood. She felt the same way. All it would take is for them to have a bad breakup for there to be undeniable regret. Their friendship was the one thing she still loved about coming home. And now it was in jeopardy.
She refused to think that way. There was no sense in borrowing trouble. “I would prefer to call it exhilarating.”
Finally, he smiled. “That too.” His hand slipped behind her neck and he pulled her close, letting her rest her cheek on his chest. “I fought this so hard. Every single day has been utter torture.”
She smiled, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. “You really have a way with words.”
He chuckled, the vibrations reverberating through his chest and making her laugh. Simon wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from being able to get very far. “I’m a little out of practice.”
“How about you just say that you’ve wanted to kiss me like that since the day I came back?”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you since the day we met,” he murmured.
He was telling the truth. How had she not noticed? How had she been so blind as to not see that his feelings for her had been there this entire time?
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“But—”
He shook his head, grazing her cheek with his knuckles. “It was never right for you.”
