Chapter Forty
Lennon
A miya stands in front of everyone with a champagne flute in her hand, sniffling her way through her toast.
“She’s a girl’s girl. A loyal friend you can trust with your man and your bank account PIN. Who never tries to outshine you or dull your beauty. She celebrates your successes and keeps your secrets safe. The best friend and chosen sister anyone would be lucky to have, but she’s mine. All mine. And I guess she’s yours now too, Sebastian. But never forget, she was mine first.”
Sebastian inclines his head in acknowledgment of that truth.
Once she’s finished, everyone drinks, and as she’s walking back to the table, Allen approaches and asks her to dance.
“If you want her, you’d better tell her.”
I’m standing at the edge of the dance floor, eyes glued on Amiya and her date. I force my eyes away from her to Avie, who has joined me.
“Now doesn’t seem like the best time.”
“I wouldn’t wait too long if I were you. She’s not like other girls. She won’t chase you. She won’t try to prove to you that she’s the one. She is who she is. She’s aware she is a handful, and she knows she has flaws, but she’s endured and healed from a lot of trauma. She knows her worth. She fought hard and earned it. So, if she wants you in her life and lets you know it, you can be sure it’s real because she doesn’t waste time. Not hers and not yours. She understands that time is valuable. And trust me, being important to Amiya Chelton is a privilege.”
“I hear you,” I say.
“One more thing: don’t hurt her,” she says, her voice turning serious. “I love you, and I’m so happy to have you as a brother-in-law, but if you hurt her, I’ll rip your balls off and shove them down your throat. It would suck for Leia to have a ball-less freak for an uncle, but I’d go there.”
I swallow back a laugh. “Geezus, Avie. You’ve got a mean streak,” I say.
“When it comes to that girl, you bet your ass I do. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Good. Now, spin your new favorite sister around the dance floor,” she demands, slipping her hand into mine.
“Excuse me, Allen. May I cut in?” I ask.
The man glances over his shoulder at me. A look of surrender on his face.
“Sure,” he says before looking back at Amiya. “I need to head out anyway. It was good to see you, Amiya.”
She steps in to hug him and kisses his cheek. “Thank you for coming. I’ll be back in the office on Monday, and we’ll schedule a conference call next week.”
“That sounds good,” he says, and I can hear the disappointment in his voice as he turns back to me. “She’s all yours.”
I take her into my arms and pull her close, bringing my lips to her ear.
“You did it. You made sure that Avie’s wedding day was everything she’d dreamed it’d be.”
“Whew, I feel like we need a vacation now,” she says, a soft laugh escaping her.
“It has been an adventure,” I agree, pulling back to look into her eyes. “I’ve enjoyed every second of sharing a house with you the past few weeks, Legs, and now that I know what it feels like to have your heat tucked in beside me, I hate how fucking cold my bed is going to be at night when you aren’t in it.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Is that so?”
I nod. “I thought you should know.”
“Is there anything else I should know?”
I love you.
The words creep unexpectedly into my head.
It doesn’t make sense. Love is not something I’ve considered. Like? Yes. Lust? For sure. Seeing each other again whenever we’re both in Sandcastle Cove? Most definitely. But love? Love means more than an occasional rendezvous. Love is constant. Love is sacrificing.
Love is retiring from the Navy and moving my ass to Atlanta, fucking Georgia.
My hand comes up and scrubs the hair at my jaw. I think I’ve finally made the decision I was avoiding for weeks. I know what path I’m going to choose.
“Yeah, I choose you, Amiya Chelton.”
Her forehead creases in confusion. “You what?”
“I’ve finally decided what’s next for me. And it’s you.”
A slow smile spreads across her face. “Does that mean you’ll use my number to send me naughty texts and dick pics this time?”
I chuckle. The woman has no clue. She’s like a lightning strike. Something I couldn’t have predicted and whose power over me I can’t control or fight.
I pull her in close. “It means, once I finish my current contract, I’m coming for you.”
She raises a brow. “Coming for me?”
“Yes, ma’am. I hear there’s a Coast Guard recruiting office in Atlanta,” I say.
Her feet stop moving, and she blinks at me.
“Legs?”
“What did you just say?”
“You’re infuriating. Unpredictable. You barge into strip clubs and prance proudly down aisles in a dress ripped to your fucking navel.”
Her eyes narrow, and she opens her mouth to say something smart, but I bring my finger up to cover her lips.
“Let me finish,” I say. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and you’re everything I never knew I needed.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
I grin. “A little of both.”
“That’s fair,” she says. “You’d really quit and move to Atlanta?”
“For you, I’d move anywhere.”
“I was thinking of moving myself. You know, once I’ve assisted and loved Grandma through her final journey.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, the ultimate goal is to live a life you don’t need a vacation from, right? I think Sandcastle Cove is the perfect place to build that kind of life, don’t you?” she asks.
As soon as the words leave her lips, I crush my mouth to hers, my hands threading into her hair, pressing her in tighter as her mouth opens beneath mine.
I pull back, and she opens her eyes.
“I think I love you,” she says, her words barely a whisper.
“That’s good because I know I love you.”