Chapter Twenty
Pierce
This is getting kinda ridiculous.
I’ve gone from wishing that painting could fill more of my time, and maybe that I could forge a career from it, to wondering how I’m supposed to find enough time to breathe… let alone paint.
I’m loving every second of it, though. Especially since Harley is so supportive.
It would be different if she was against me doing this, but she’s not. She’s with me every step of the way. She says the right things at just the right times, sensing when I’m having moments of self-doubt, and she lifts me back up again, making me believe I can do this. Because I can. I know that, deep down. It’s just – like she said – it’s all happened so fast.
Yesterday was crazy.
There was no way of predicting the response we had to the gallery’s social media posts. Not even they’d seen anything like it before. That was what Abigail said when she called, asking me to go in there tomorrow for a photo shoot. A photo shoot? Me? I nearly laughed when she said that… except she was deadly serious. They’d employed a photographer, and were paying him a special rate to come in on a Sunday… so laughing wasn’t really an option.
That brought it home, maybe more than all the online comments and likes, and the followers I gained during the day. Even more have been added overnight, and I’m relieved Harley’s gonna be with me tomorrow. I dread to think how wild it’ll all be by then.
It was certainly chaotic in the store yesterday afternoon. I don’t really know how that happened. It started with someone who I didn’t recognize, asking if I was the guy who did the paintings, clarifying that by adding, “The ones that are gonna be at the Bowman Gallery in July.”
I said I was, and he asked if I took commissions. I said I did, and then a woman came in and joined our conversation. Before I knew it, there was a crowd of people, some of them talking amongst themselves, and some to me. Nate Newton appeared out of nowhere and asked if I’d spare him some time early next week.
“I wanna do a piece on you before anyone else does,” he said, giving me a smile.
“I don’t think I’m gonna be quite that popular.”
He looked around. “Are you serious?”
He had a point. The store was overflowing by then, and I shrugged my shoulders. “This is all a bit beyond me.”
“Then come and have a coffee with me next week and tell me all about it.”
“So you can publish it in your newspaper?”
“Exactly. All publicity is good publicity… or so they say.”
I nodded my head. “I guess… although I honestly don’t know what I’m doing next week. Can I call you on Monday?”
“Sure. You know where I am.”
He left, probably relieved to get out of the crush, and to be honest, I’d have gone with him, if I could.
I was relieved when Harley appeared, and that most people saw her arrival as a signal to leave, which was our chance to escape… so we did. Straight into the bedroom. Making love with her was just what I needed. It was a reminder that there are more important things in life than all this madness, and that without her, none of it means a damn thing.
She’s still asleep, although I won’t be able to let her stay that way for much longer. I’ve gotta take her back to her parents’ place before opening the store, so we’ll have to get up earlier than I’d like, and I lean in and kiss her forehead. She shudders, and pulls a face, which makes me smile, as I kiss the tip of her nose. She brings her hand up, brushing away the imaginary annoyance, and I kiss her lips.
She opens her eyes, kissing me back, her arms coming around my neck.
“Good morning,” she murmurs.
“Good morning, beautiful.” I let my hands wander down her back to rest on her ass. “We’ve gotta get up, but do you wanna come shower with me?”
“Of course.” She grins and I turn over, pulling her with me, so I’m on my back and she’s on top of me. “Are you sure about that shower?” she asks, grinding her hips into me.
“Positive.”
I sit up, shimmy to the edge of the bed and, holding on to her, I stand up. She wraps her legs around me, and I carry her through to the bathroom and straight into the shower. The water is set to the perfect temperature for us and I turn it on, gazing into her eyes.
“How’s your leg today?”
“A lot better.”
“Good.”
I lift her up slightly, hooking her legs over my arms, and lower her onto my cock, impaling her deeply.
“Oh… God…” She shudders in my arms, taking me deep inside her as I turn around and rest her back against the tiled wall behind her, bracing my feet on the floor.
“How does that feel?” I ask.
“Incredible.”
I pull almost all the way out, and then slam back in, making her cry out with pleasure, her head rocking back.
“You know why it feels so good?” I say, and she shakes her head.
“No.”
“Because I’m not wearing a condom.” Her eyes widen, her mouth dropping open, and I feel her tense in my arms. “Sorry, but I needed to feel you. I’ll go get one…” I raise her up, but she grabs my shoulders.
“No. I wanna feel you, too. Wait just a little longer… please?”
I nod my head, lowering her back down over me, and she kisses me, our tongues colliding as I take her harder than ever. It’s no good, though. I can’t breathe, and I don’t think she can, either. I pull back, gazing into her eyes for a moment, and then plant gentle kisses on her neck.
“You’re so wet… so tight,” I murmur in her ear. “The way you grip my cock… it’s like nothing else.”
“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop,” she whispers, grinding against me. She’s close. I can feel it, and I’m gonna have to stop soon… just not yet. I wanna feel her come, and I thrust into her, taking my time over each move, until her eyes roll back, and my name leaves her lips on a shattering cry. She tightens around me, and I feel every pulse of her orgasm surging through me, from the base to the tip of my cock. It’s beyond anything I’ve ever felt before, and I support her with my left arm, releasing my right, although she keeps her leg wrapped around me, her hands gripping my shoulders as I place my hand on the tiles by her head, just to ground myself… while she writhes against me, begging for more, her face a picture of the most beautiful ecstasy.
I’m on fire. I need more too, although I need her to calm first, and I wait as she catches her breath, her body slowly coming back to me, her eyes opening and a soft smile forming on her lips.
“Give me two minutes,” I say, lifting her off of me and lowering her to the floor, ready to dart into the bedroom.
“No,” she says, grabbing my hand. “I can’t wait that long. I need to feel you come… now.”
She drops to the floor, crouching, the tiled wall still right behind her as she looks up at me and clamps her hand around my cock, opening her mouth and taking me.
That may not have been what I had in mind, but it feels too good to argue.
“Do I taste of you?” I say and she nods her head. “Do you like it?” She nods again as I flex my hips. “You want more?” She nods again, a little faster and I smile, moving my feet, so I’m even closer to her, and then I brace my arms against the wall and fuck her mouth. “If your leg hurts, just stop,” I say, and although she nods again, I get the feeling she’s okay. She’s sucking me real hard, her tongue swirling over the tip of my dick, driving me insane. It feels so good and within minutes, I get that tingling in my spine, my balls aching to come, and I gaze down at her… at the way her lips circle my cock. “You’re gonna make me come,” I whisper. She moans, taking me just a little deeper, and I tense, my muscles tightening as I let go, right down her throat. “Yes, Harley… Yes… take me.” I cry out. She swallows, her tongue pressing on the underside of my cock, which pushes my pleasure up a notch, as I pour myself into her, my body twitching and convulsing through a mind-blowing orgasm.
I’m on the verge of collapsing, but I daren’t, in case I fall on Harley… so instead, I reach down, giving her a moment to release my cock, before I pull her to her feet, cupping her cheek with one hand, while holding the wall with the other, just to be on the safe side.
“That was too good for words.”
“Then don’t say anything,” she says, smiling up at me, still catching her breath.
“I have to. I have to tell you how much I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She leans against me, resting her head on my chest. “Promise you’ll never stop.”
“I’ll never stop. I wouldn’t know how.”
We stand for a while… for as long as we dare, and then quickly wash, before I shut off the water, and we step out. I wrap Harley in a towel, taking one for myself and we stand, gazing at each other in the mirror while we brush our teeth.
It’s been the most perfect start to the day, but I know we’re gonna spend most of it apart, and once we’re dressed, I fix us breakfast while Harley braids her hair, and we eat together, holding hands. She seems a little on edge now, but I don’t want to make too much of that. It’s just because her parents are coming home… but we can talk to them together. It’ll be fine. I know it will.
The drive back to Willmont Vale takes no more or less time than usual, but it feels strange. We haven’t been here for two weeks, which seems like a long time to me, but must feel even longer to Harley. She’s quiet, but I guess that’s to be expected, and as I park her car, I reach over and take her hand.
“You will call, won’t you? If you need me?”
She nods her head. “I will.”
“And I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
She opens the door, but I refuse to let her go. “Hey… where’s my kiss?” She smiles and leans across, kissing me just briefly. “That’s not a kiss,” I say, pulling her close and taking more time over it, allowing my tongue to explore her more thoroughly, even though I already know her so intimately. “You’ll be fine,” I whisper as I pull away and she smiles, nodding her head, and gets out of the car. She stands, waving me goodbye as I turn the car, and then I watch in the mirror as she goes around the corner of the garage, toward the front door, disappearing from view.
I wish I could stay, but I can’t, and I head back to Hart’s Creek, getting there in no time at all.
My morning hasn’t been as busy as it was yesterday afternoon, but I’ve had more than my fair share of customers, some of them just coming in to talk, while others have actually bought things, which is good. At just after twelve, I’m surprised by the arrival of Brady Hanson, although he’s not wearing his usual sheriff’s uniform.
“I can’t stop for too long,” he says. “I’ve left Laurel and Addy at the coffee shop, ordering lunch. Laurel’s celebrating the fact that the smell of coffee doesn’t make her feel sick anymore, and Addy’s celebrating the news.”
“You’ve told her? About her baby sister?” I say and he nods his head.
“She’s thrilled, but I just thought I’d come over to let you know the truck driver has confessed to three separate offenses.”
“Three?”
“Yeah,” he says, lowering his voice. “We found a quantity of cocaine in the cab of his truck. It had to be analyzed, and then he had to be re-interviewed, which is why there’s been a bit of a delay.”
“But he’ll be serving jail time?” I ask, just to be sure.
“Yes, he will.”
I nod my head, feeling a sense of satisfaction. “I’ll tell Harley.”
“How is she?” he asks.
“A lot better than she was. She suffered a kind of delayed shock. That’s what Doctor Dodds called it. It hit her when she went back to work on the Monday after the accident.”
“I noticed the store was closed around then. Were you okay?”
“I had a couple of moments… like panic attacks, I guess. They were mostly caused by thinking about how close I’d come to losing her.”
He nods his head, giving me a smile. “I can understand that,” he says. “But you’re both okay now?”
“We are, thanks.”
“Good.” He steps closer. “I didn’t just come over here to tell you about the truck driver, or to inquire after your health… I also came to give you a heads-up.”
“What about?”
“Your dad. I’m sorry, Pierce, but I saw him yesterday evening, and… well, I assumed you’d have told him about the accident by now, so I mentioned it.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yeah. He didn’t have a clue what I was talking about, and I couldn’t exactly backtrack, so I told him.”
He looks so contrite, but it’s not his fault. “Don’t worry about it. He’d have found out, eventually.”
“Probably.”
“How did he react?”
“He didn’t say very much. He just listened to what I had to say and then continued on his way. It was kinda odd.”
“Sounds like Dad,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Have you decided what you’re gonna do about the bike?” Brady asks, changing the subject, which is a relief.
“I’m not getting another one, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“You’re not?”
“No. I’ve always loved riding the bike, but…”
“You love Harley more?” he says, smiling.
“Yeah, I do. I’ve submitted the insurance claim, but all I’ve heard so far is that they’ve received it.”
“They’ll take their time, trust me. If I can help at all, let me know.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course, if what I heard about yesterday afternoon is true, you might need me for crowd control, too.”
I chuckle. “You never know.”
His phone beeps, and he pulls it from his pocket. “I’d better get over to the coffee shop,” he says, looking up and smiling. “It seems Addy’s about to eat my lunch.”
I chuckle as he leaves, wondering about lunch for myself, and close up the store, wandering to the deli, where I pick up a BLT, bringing it back, and settling on the seat behind the counter, where I call Harley. She answers on the second ring, and I smile, just hearing her voice.
“How’s it going?” I ask.
“Okay.” She sounds a little hesitant, and I put down my sandwich.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just that I’ve… well, I’ve packed a few more things to bring over to your place. I hope that’s okay?”
“It’s better than okay, babe.”
“Do you think we’ll be able to find space for it all?”
I’ve got no idea what she’s bringing, but I nod my head anyway, even though she can’t see me. “We’ll make space.” I’m just relieved she’s no longer seeing her parents’ return as a roadblock to us being together. This kinda proves that.
“How’s your morning been?” she asks.
“Brady came in. He told me they found drugs in the truck driver’s cab. The guy’s confessed to three offenses, evidently.”
“He was high?”
“I don’t know if he’d taken them or not, and Brady didn’t say. But they were there.”
“Oh, my God.”
“Are you okay?” I ask, realizing I probably should have told her that in person. “Do you want me to come over?”
“No… I’m all right.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s not long until Mom and Dad get back, and then you’ll be coming over, anyway. I’ll be fine.”
“Call me if you need me, won’t you?”
“I think I’ve said this before, but I always need you.”
“I always need you, too.”
There’s a moment’s pause and then she says, “What kind of need are you feeling right now?”
“The kind that makes me wanna hold you, and never let you go… and the kind that makes me wanna bury myself deep inside you, until you’re screaming my name.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“I kinda wish I hadn’t, though.”
“Why?” she says, sounding worried.
“Because I’m bone hard now, and you’re not here.”
I hear her let out a slight moan. “I wish I was.”
“So do I.”
“See you later?”
“You can count on it.”
We end the call, and I sit back, smiling to myself as I eat my sandwich.
Fortunately, by the time I’ve finished, my arousal has subsided to a contented thought of what’s to come when I get Harley home tonight… and that’s more than enough for now.
As it’s Saturday, I have to total up the week’s sales, and I take advantage of a lull in customers and get that done, saving the figures for Bridget and Rob to look at on Monday. This has been the best week since their departure, but I don’t think my newfound fame – if it can be called that – has done any harm, and I chuckle, fixing myself a coffee, just as my phone rings. I pull it out, frowning slightly when I see Harley’s name on the screen. It’s just after three, and I’m due to see her in less than an hour… so what can’t wait?
“Hi,” I say, answering. “Is something wrong?”
“Not necessarily wrong, but…”
“What’s happened?”
“My parents got back about an hour ago,” she says. “And although I know we agreed we’d tell them about us together, I…”
“You’ve told them already, haven’t you?”
“Not exactly. They guessed.”
I smile, shaking my head. “How did they take it?”
“They couldn’t be happier.” I can hear the relief in her voice, and my smile widens, although I’m not surprised. It’s exactly what I’d expected.
“They’re okay with you living here?” I say, just to be sure.
“Yes. It seems they’ve always known about my feelings for you… just like Ben. Which, I guess, means I wasn’t as good at hiding it as I thought.”
“You hid it well enough from me.”
“Only because you weren’t looking… and I’m not hiding anything from you now. I’m an open book as far as you’re concerned.”
“In that case, can I flick through a few pages when we get home tonight?”
She giggles, although the sound dies a lot more quickly than I’d like, and she says, “I—I told them about the accident, too.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. I forgot I couldn’t go to the grocery store for them because you have my car, so they said they’d go. It’s where they are now, actually, but I couldn’t afford for them to run into someone while they were there, and find out about the accident that way.”
“No. It was better that they heard about it from you… or me.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay, babe? I should have been with you. It can’t have been easy having to talk about it.”
“It wasn’t, but I’m okay now.”
“Sure?” I ask, needing to know.
“Positive.”
“It’s not long until I can close the store, so I’ll see you soon, and give you a big hug.”
“I’m looking forward to it already.”
“Me too.” I let out a sigh. “Are you smiling?”
“Yes,” she says.
“Are you happy?”
“Very.”
“So am I.”
We end the call, and I finish making my coffee, carrying the cup back through to the store, almost jumping out of my skin when I see my dad standing there, waiting.
“Dad?” He nods his head. “Sorry. I was just…” I glance down at the cup in my hand, and he nods again. It’s been ages since I’ve seen him, although he hasn’t changed. He still looks serious, staring at me through dark-rimmed glasses, his hair cut neatly. It looks as though he’s been playing golf. But that’s normal for him on a Saturday and I put down my cup, keeping the counter between us, hoping I won’t need it for protection.
“I heard what happened,” he says, and I sense he’s pissed because it wasn’t me who told him. I’m not in the mood for a fight, and I just stare at him, waiting. “Brady told me what you did… that you saved Harley.” He holds out his hand, stepping closer. I’m taken by surprise and for a moment, I don’t move, but then I remember my manners and take his hand, giving him a firm shake. “I’m proud of you, son,” he says, shocking me. He’s the second person to say that to me in twenty-four hours. It sounded great coming from Harley. From my dad, I’m not so sure.
“You are?”
“Of course I am.”
“Have you heard about the exhibition?” I ask.
“There are rumors about it all over the town, so it’s kinda hard to avoid.”
“And are you proud of me for that, too?”
He pauses for a second, which feels like thirty, and then says, “I guess I’m just gonna have to accept this is what you want.”
“It is… and so is Harley.”
“You mean…?”
“I mean, we’re not just friends anymore. We’re together.”
He frowns. “Because of what happened? Because you saved her?”
“No. We were together before that happened.”
“I see,” he says, his face clearing. “Well… congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
He nods his head, shifting from one foot to the other. “I—I guess if you hit the big time with this exhibition of yours, you won’t be staying around here for much longer.”
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, Dad. This could be a one-off, or it could be the beginning of something incredible.” I take a breath. “But whatever it is, I’ll try not to be a stranger.”
He smiles. “Thanks, Pierce. I’d like that, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t understand.”
“It’s okay.”
I step around the counter, and although he offers his hand again, I give him a hug. He hugs me back and then leaves, neither of us saying another word.
That felt good. So good, I can’t wait to tell Harley about it, and although it’s not quite four, I don’t care. I’m closing the store.
I swallow down my coffee, and lock the front door, switching off the lights and going through to the back of the store just as my phone rings. I roll my eyes. It feels like it’s been one of those days, and I pull my phone from my pocket, seeing that it’s an unknown caller. I could ignore it, but it might be something to do with the exhibition, or with tomorrow’s photo shoot, and I answer, my breath catching when I hear who’s on the other end of the line.
I’m still in a daze.
How I drove from Hart’s Creek to Willmont Vale is beyond me, but I’ve made it, and I park Harley’s car next to Rob’s, getting out and hurrying to the front door.
I ring the bell, but only have to wait a few seconds before Harley answers, her smile becoming a bemused frown as she looks up at me.
“What’s happened now?” she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me inside. I can’t speak, even when Rob and Bridget come out from the kitchen, having clearly heard me arrive. “Something’s happened to Pierce,” Harley says, sounding anxious, and her parents come over.
“What’s wrong with you?” Rob asks. “Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Then tell me what’s going on,” Harley says and I look down at her, taking a couple of deep breaths.
“It’s hard to say.”
“Try.”
“I will. But do you think we could sit down first?”
She nods her head, leading me into the living room, where she sits on the couch facing the front windows. I join her, while Rob and Bridget sit opposite. I look across at them, noting how rested they look, and remember my manners.
“Did you have a good vacation?” I ask.
Rob nods his head. “We did, thanks, but do you think you could put us all out of our misery and explain what’s happened?”
“Okay.” I turn back to Harley, taking her hands in mine and twisting slightly, so I’m facing her. “I—I had a phone call just as I was leaving work and… well, it could change everything.”
“In a good way?” she asks.
“That depends on you, babe.”
“Why?” Harley tips her head to one side.
“Because the call was from a really well-known art gallery in New York. It seems they’d seen all the activity online, and they were calling to ask if they could exhibit my work.”
Harley jumps up, throwing herself at me, and I catch her, pulling her into my arms. “That’s amazing, Pierce. It’s… It’s just what you’ve been waiting for.”
“I haven’t finished yet,” I say, twisting her around on my lap.
“You mean there’s more?”
“Yeah. They don’t just wanna run an exhibition in New York, they also wanna run one at their sister gallery in Seattle.”
“At the same time?”
“No. The one in New York would probably be sometime in the spring next year, and the one in Seattle would be afterwards… maybe in the fall.”
“Oh, my gosh, but this is fabulous. You’ll have time to get some more paintings done, and…”
“Before you get too carried away, the thing they like most is my seascapes. That’s what they wanna focus on.”
“And?” she says, her brow furrowing.
“I’ve always done them from photographs, babe, but that’s not ideal. It’s not realistic, and if I really wanna make a go of this, I need to get out there and find myself some coastlines to paint.”
“I—I don’t understand,” Harley says, leaning back slightly.
Rob sits forward, catching her attention, and she turns to him. “I think what Pierce is trying to say is that he’ll need to leave town.”
Harley flips her head back around, looking at me. “Leave?”
“Yes.” I nod my head, holding on to her. “I’ll need to travel around… maybe use some of the money I get from the exhibition in Concord to get an RV or something, so I can keep moving, finding fresh places to paint. And I’ll obviously have to go to New York and Seattle for the exhibitions.”
“You make it sound like you’re not c—coming back,” she says, her voice cracking.
“I’m not even going. Not unless you agree to come with me.” She gasps, clamping her hand over her mouth. “I haven’t committed to this yet, Harley. I told them I had to talk it through with you first, and that I’d call them back.”
“You said that to them?”
“Of course. I won’t do this unless you’re with me.”
She sucks in a breath, licking her lips and frowning. “But everything we know is here,” she says, glancing around the room, as though this is still her home… which I thought we’d agreed it wasn’t. Her eyes settle on her mom and dad, and I wonder if I’m fighting a losing battle.
“I get that,” I say. “Your parents are here, and being close to them means the world to you. It makes perfect sense that you’d wanna stay here.”
“It makes perfect sense that you’d wanna stay here, too, doesn’t it? Your dad lives here, and you’ve got memories, and…”
“He came into the store earlier,” I say, remembering she knows nothing about that yet.
“Your dad?”
“Yeah. Brady had accidentally let slip about the accident, and Dad wanted to talk… to tell me he was proud of me.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah. We kinda made up.”
“But that’s even more reason for you to stay, isn’t it?”
“Not necessarily. I’ve told him I won’t be a stranger.”
“But how can you say that if you’re thinking of leaving? You’ve just said you’ll have to keep moving, painting, going to exhibitions…”
“I know. But we’ll still come back to visit, as often as we can. Dad gets it now. He realizes this is what I want.”
“I see,” she says, nodding her head and glancing at her parents, maybe wondering if they get it, too. “This is what you want, is it?”
“It is. This is like a dream come true for me. I’m not gonna deny that.”
“And you’ve always said you wouldn’t sacrifice your dreams for anyone.”
“I have.” I smile at her, recalling how many times we’ve talked that through over the years. “But the thing is, babe… I love you so much more than any dream.”
“I love you, too.”
“I know. And that means I’d sacrifice everything – including my dreams – to be with you. So, if this is something you can’t do, then I’ll decline the offer and we’ll stay.”
“And you’ll spend the rest of our lives resenting me?”
I smile, cupping her cheek with my hand. “I like that.”
“What?”
“That you’re thinking about the rest of our lives.”
“We’ve always talked about the rest of our lives.”
“I know… and we’ve meant it. Every damn word. Every time we’ve said it. And that’s my point. I told you I wanna spend forever with you, and nothing’s changed. No matter where we spend it, I wanna spend my life with you. But you have to want this, Harley. If you don’t, we won’t do it. And I won’t resent you, or your decision. Not for a second.”
Bridget coughs and we both look up. She’s holding Rob’s hand, and her eyes are glistening, fixed on me, not Harley, which is a surprise.
“You’ve always been like a second son to us, Pierce,” she says, her voice cracking just slightly. “You know we trust you.”
“I do.”
“And we trust you even more, knowing what you did for Harley. She told us about the accident, and we can never thank you enough for saving her.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’ve already told Harley this, but I’ll say it again… I’d do it a hundred times over, no matter the cost.”
Bridget smiles, swallowing hard, and nods her head before she switches her gaze to Harley. “If we can trust him, you should, too,” she says.
“I do.” Harley sounds defensive, holding me just a little tighter.
“Then go with him, put your faith in him. Opportunities like this don’t come up too often… so take it. Run with it. Have an adventure.”
“But what about you?” Harley says.
“What about us? We’ll still be here. So will Hart’s Creek. So will Willmont Vale. Nothing’s gonna change, and you’ll be back… maybe with a couple of grandchildren in tow, who knows?”
Harley turns to me, blushing slightly. “Anything can happen,” I whisper, and she smiles. “I know this is a big step for you, but it’s not one we have to take immediately. We’ll be here for the next couple of months, and we can come back for Thanksgiving and for Christmas. I’ll keep you safe,” I say, holding her close and gazing into her sparkling eyes. “I’ll always put you first, and I’ll never let anyone hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course I do.”
“And you know how much I love you?”
“Yes.” She reaches into my pocket, pulling out my phone with a little difficulty before she hands it to me. “I guess you’d better call them,” she says.
“To say what?”
“That you accept their offer.”
“You’ll come with me?”
She nods her head and I place my hand behind her head, closing the gap between us, our lips meeting in a bruising kiss. I don’t care if her parents are just across the room, I need Harley to know how much this means to me… how much she means to me. We hold each other for a while, and eventually I pull back.
“I love you, babe.”
“I love you, too. Now, make the call. Tell them yes, and then help me find a map, so we can decide where we’re going. We’ve got a trip to plan…”
“No, babe… we’ve got a life to plan. And it starts right now.”
The End
Thank you for reading Pining for Pierce .