Chapter 7
SEVEN
Cora
Huxley beelines for me, and I bite back a smile as I watch him make his way through the crowd towards me. He stops right in front of me, and I crane my head back to maintain eye contact with him.
“Here,” he says, handing me my sweater, and I smile up at him as I slip it on.
“Thanks.”
“We should?—”
“Are you hungry?” I ask at the same time.
I laugh, and some of the tension between us seems to fade.
“What were you going to say?” I ask him.
“We should… grab something to eat,” he says, and I know that he’s lying, but I decide not to push him.
“Yeah, there’s a ton of food. Come on.”
I turn and head into the kitchen with Huxley following right behind me. I can see Ginger looking at me, and when we make eye contact, she raises her eyebrows, silently asking me if I’ve talked to him yet. I shake my head at her, and she frowns.
I spent most of today helping set up, cooking for the party, and being grilled by my friends about what is going on between me and Huxley. I told them that we slept together last night and that I really liked him, but Ginger knows me better than that. She cornered me and asked if I was willing to admit that I had feelings for him, that I loved him.
It had been scary to admit that, even to my best friend, and she spent the rest of the day trying to talk me up and convince me to talk to him tonight and make things between us official. She wants me to tell him that I like him, a lot—maybe even tell him that I love him—but I’m not sure that I can do that tonight.
Maybe after some liquid courage , I think as I head over to the counter filled with liquor and start to make myself a rum and coke.
“Do you want one?” I ask Huxley, but he shakes his head.
“I’m good for now.”
I take a big sip of my drink and grab a plate as we head over to the buffet of food.
“I’ll hold your plate for you,” Huxley says, and I smile.
“Thanks.”
I add some dips and other appetizers to the plate and then pop a strawberry in my mouth as we take a seat at the long table that’s been set up in the corner of the kitchen. Huxley heads back to make his own plate of food and I start to eat as I study him.
He looks so handsome in his forest green sweater and dark-wash jeans. He smiles and greets Kip as he joins him in line for food and they start to whisper to each other. Kip claps him on the back, and Huxley nods as he turns and makes his way back over to me.
We eat in silence for a while, and I try to think of something to say. Do I ask him about his day? Do I mention last night and how amazing it was?
“What did you do today?” I ask him as we eat.
“Kip and I ended up going in to work for a bit. We got a lot of stuff figured out and ready for January.”
“That’s good. It must be a relief, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s nice to have it out of the way.”
I nod, and we eat in silence for another minute.
“What about you?” He asks and I grin.
“I’m going to get that printed on a shirt for you,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“Fine. What did you do today?” He asks me.
“I helped out here. I made the seven-layer dip,” I tell him, pointing to it on his plate.
“It’s delicious. The best thing here.”
“And I made the chicken wings.”
“Love them too.”
I laugh and smile at him and he stares at me.
“We need to talk,” Huxley says and I drop the tortilla chip in my hand as I stare at him.
“Okay. Right now?” I ask him, and he nods.
“Yeah.”
He sounds so resigned, or maybe it’s determination that I hear. Either way, I get an anxious ball in my stomach as I stand and follow him to the front door. We both pull on our coats, boots, and winter gear and then head outside.
“What’s up?” I ask him as we head to the far end of the porch.
“I need to tell you something.”
I nod, watching him anxiously and waiting for him to go on.
“About last night…” he starts, and I swallow hard.
“It was nice,” I say and he nods animatedly.
“Yes, nice.”
His mouth opens and closes a few times and I bite back a smile at how out of his depth he looks.
“It was amazing.”
He nods again and I watch him swallow hard, his fingers stretching and then tightening into fists. He rolls his shoulders back and takes a deep breath, looking like he’s trying to psych himself up for something.
“Cora, I like you,” he says finally, and I blink.
“I like you too.”
“I more than like you. That doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about you.”
“Okay…”
“I’m obsessed with you. I have been for months. Since you moved to town.”
“I—”
“I love you. So much. More than you know. More than is probably healthy.”
“Huxley,” I try again, but it seems like now he’s on a roll, like now the floodgates are open and he has to get it all out.
“I had your house condemned so that you would have to move in with me.”
“What!?”
“I moved out of the master bedroom so that you could have it because, fuck, I want you to be mine. I needed to see you in my bed, even if I wasn’t in it with you.”
“You had my house condemned?” I ask again, and he nods.
“It wasn’t safe for you to live there. I don’t regret it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’m working on getting rid of that thing next,” he tells me, nodding behind me to my car.
“My car isn’t that bad!” I argue, and he glares at it.
“It’s the worst. I can’t stand it. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve followed you home or to town just to make sure that you got there safely? How many nights I’ve spent lying awake and wondering if you had made it home?”
“How were you going to get rid of it? Break something on that too?” I ask him, crossing my arms over my chest as I glare up at him.
“No, I wouldn’t need to do that. A strong wind comes through, and that thing will break down.”
“It’s not that bad!” I scream, and he shakes his head.
“It is. I’ve been toying with the idea of setting up a fake contest to have you win one, or buying another car for myself and then insisting that you use it because it’s safer in this weather.”
“You’re crazy,” I whisper, and he nods.
“I know. Don’t you think that I know that? You drive me crazy, Cora. I’ve never been like this with anyone before. I’ve never felt even a fraction of the things that I feel for you for anyone else. I don’t know how to act around you or how to control my instincts when it comes to you.”
“What were you going to do when I moved out?” I ask him.
“Not let you.”
“How were you going to do that?”
“I was hoping that I’d be able to convince you to stay. I was hoping that I would have enough time to show you that we were perfect together. I was hoping that I would be able to get you to fall in love with me too.”
We stare at each other in silence for a beat; the only sounds are the muted voices and music from the party.
“Well, you did,” I say softly, and he blinks.
“Did what?” He asks carefully, like he’s afraid to believe that I might be saying that I love him too, and I smile up at him.
“You made me fall for you too.”
“What?” He asks, his eyes wide in shock.
“I love you too.”
He closes the distance between us quickly, and his lips find mine. He kisses me passionately, his hands tangling in my hair as his tongue licks into my mouth.
The wind whips my hair around us, and I can hear the sounds of the party from inside, but all I can focus on is Huxley. His hand slips around my waist, pulling me close, and the rest of the noise and distractions fade away. His green eyes meet mine, intense and smoldering, and I feel my breath catch as I stare up at him.
The snow falls gently around us, blanketing the world in quiet as we stand on the porch, close enough that I can feel the warmth of him radiating against the cold. Huxley’s eyes are intense, his gaze fixed on me, his breaths visible in the winter air. It’s almost surreal, this moment, this silence that pulses with an unspoken electricity between us.
He reaches out, brushing a snowflake from my cheek with the back of his hand, his fingers lingering just long enough to make my skin tingle. My heart thuds in my chest as he tilts his head, his eyes searching mine, his face close enough that I can see the flecks of green in his dark eyes.
“Cora,” he murmurs, his voice rough and low, filled with something that sends a thrill down my spine.
He leans in, and before I can think, before I can even take another breath, his lips find mine. The kiss is soft at first, just a whisper of warmth in the cold, his mouth gentle but possessive, as if he’s savoring this moment. I let myself melt into it, my hands finding his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath his jacket, the solidness of him.
The kiss deepens, and a shiver runs through me, though it has nothing to do with the chill. His hands slide to my waist, pulling me closer, his body heat seeping through our clothes. I feel him press into me, every inch of him as he wraps me up in his arms, the world falling away until there’s nothing but the two of us and this kiss. My hands slide up to his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as his lips move over mine, slow and deliberate, coaxing, exploring.
He pulls back just enough to look at me, his breath mingling with mine, his eyes dark and hungry. “You’re driving me crazy, you know that?”
“Good,” I whisper, breathless, and that’s all it takes.
His mouth crashes against mine, harder this time, his kiss filled with a raw need that makes my knees go weak. He presses me back against the porch railing, his hands roaming over my back, pulling me even closer, as if he can’t get enough. I feel his warmth everywhere, igniting something inside me that I’ve never felt before.
He breaks away just long enough to murmur my name against my lips, his voice rough with longing, his hands framing my face as he gazes at me, his eyes filled with an intensity that takes my breath away.
And then his mouth is on mine again, his kisses deep and insistent, making my head spin. I lose myself in him, in the warmth and strength of his embrace, in the way he holds me as if I’m the only thing that matters. The snow falls softly around us, silent witnesses to a moment I know I’ll never forget.
He’s really mine, I think with a smile.
“Are you two coming back inside?” Ginger calls, and we pull apart.
“Yeah, in a second!” I call back, and she gives me a knowing smile before she heads back inside.
“I love you, Cora,” Huxley whispers as he presses his forehead against mine.
“I know, crazy,” I say, and he glares at me until I laugh. “I love you too.”
He smiles and presses another kiss to my lips. I shiver as the wind picks up and pull back.
“It’s freezing. Let’s go inside,” I tell him, and he nods.
He takes my hand in his as we make our way back towards the door.
“You’re my girl,” he says as we stop outside the front door.
“Yeah.”
“And we’re going out. We’re not just roommates now.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I’m moving back into the master bedroom. I don’t want to spend another night without you next to me.”
“Okay,” I say, leaning up and kissing his cheek. “Now, let’s go inside and hang out with our friends. Then in a few hours, if you’re lucky, I’ll let you be my midnight kiss.”
“Damn right, I’m going to be your kiss,” he grumbles as we head inside, and I smile as we rejoin the party.
“So?” Ginger asks, pulling me aside, and I see Kip giving Huxley a questioning look.
“Meet my boyfriend,” I tell the party, and everyone cheers.
Huxley tucks me into his side, and I grin up at him.
“It’s about time!” Ryder says, and I laugh.
Our friends all congratulate us, and Huxley keeps me close to his side for the rest of the night. He’s so attentive, always watching me and getting me something before I can even try to get it myself or ask for it. He seems more relaxed and at peace, too. It’s like now that I know how crazy obsessed with me he is, he can relax and just be himself.
Midnight comes so fast, and as we all countdown and watch the ball drop, I smile up at Huxley.
“Happy New Year,” I tell him and he smirks down at me.
“Happy New Year. I’m going to make sure that it’s your best year yet,” he promises me as he leans down and kisses me as the ball drops on the TV.
I close my eyes and smile as I kiss my man back.