34. Millie
CHAPTER 34
Millie
“ I can’t believe you tried to break up with me last night,” Will mumbles into my hair.
We lay side by side in bed, watching the sun rise through the window. I don’t have a busy day at work today, but there are still a few final emails I need to send out for the spring festival now that we are in the final month.
Will and I did most of the task list yesterday, which is good because he can focus on his store, but I still need to wrangle a few more volunteers.
“I thought you said I couldn’t because we weren’t together,” I say, my eyes having trouble staying open. We should have gone to bed last night, but instead we had sex again. And again. It was nearly three in the morning when we finally passed out. And here we are, four hours later. I desperately need coffee.
“That is correct,” Will says and tightens his hold on me. I snuggle deeper into his chest, loving the extra blanket of warmth. “But we could be?”
“Together?”
He lets go of me enough so I can meet his gaze .
“Yeah, together, Rose.” The smile he gives me is all I need in the morning in order to have a good day.
“Oh, um…”
“Do you not want to be my girlfriend?”
“No, no,” I rush out and move to sit so I can get my thoughts straight. “I do. I mean, Will, I’ve wanted to be your girlfriend for a long time. Like an extremely long time.”
He chuckles and pushes to sit.
“Okay? Do you need me to do a fancy proposal? I’m not going to argue about getting on my knees in front of you,” Will says. He slides out of bed, but I grasp his bicep to pull him back to me.
“As much as I love seeing you on your knees…” I kiss him. “I want to make sure it’s what you want. That I’m what you want.” I turn away. My voice wobbles as I say it, even though I think he wants me.
He did tell me he loves me, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be tied to me. Because being tied to me means staying in Willow Pines.
“Millie,” Will says my name so softly I almost don’t hear it. He tugs my chin until my eyes are forced to meet his. “I want you. I want to figure out what to do next together. I want to stay in Willow Pines and have a life with you. I already lost you more than once, I’m not about to lose you again. Okay?”
He searches my face as he tells me what he wants, and I take a moment to let it settle in my mind. He wants me. He wants to stay.
He wants me, and he wants to stay.
“Okay.”
“So, girlfriend? Or? I mean, I’d take fiancée too, but I don’t know if you’d consider that too fast…” Will rambles, so I shut him up with a kiss.
“I do have some expectations,” I say with a laugh. “Girlfriend has a nice ring to it, for now. ”
He kisses my nose. “Girlfriend.” Will closes his eyes and grins. “Girlfriend.” He opens them. “Yep, I’m a fan.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. Now, boyfriend , I need to get ready for work. Think we can chat about the status of your store later?”
I wait to see if he will shut down, but he surprises me by nodding. “Yeah, actually. I have a plan. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s a start.”
“Oh? A plan? Do you have a task list? Need me to make you one?” I rush out.
“Woah, Millie, no need,” Will says. “I got it covered, don’t worry about me.”
“Mm, okay. Dinner tonight?”
“Always. Where at?”
“My place?”
“You know, that’s great, because we’ve barely spent time there.”
“Your place is convenient.” I say.
“And small,” Will counters.
“Well, you could move in with me?”
Will lifts his brows and opens his mouth to say something, but I quickly add, “I mean if we get to that. I know you might not want to…never mind, forget I said anything, I’m still tired.”
“Millie Mae, I would love to move in with you. We might want to wait until after the event. But yes, a million times yes, I want to wake up next to you every morning. I would have moved in with you even when we were fake dating.”
I worry my lip. “Okay. Cool. Well, before I make this more awkward and talk to you about kids, I’m going to get ready for the day.”
“For what it’s worth, I want kids with you.”
I’m not used to being able to be like this with him. My hands are fidgeting more than normal, so instead of responding, I rush to the bathroom and shut the door.
“Millie,” Will calls .
I turn on the sink and stand there, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
Will opens the door and leans on the frame, crossing his arms and staring at me with an expression that is too sexy for this early in the morning.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I say.
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t move.
“Why are you freaking out?”
“I’m not freaking out,” I say.
He enters the bathroom and turns the sink off.
“I’ve known you for my entire life, Millie. You can’t tell me that when you ran off to the bathroom.”
“You haven’t known me your whole life.”
He drops his head. “Okay, sorry, I’ve known you for twenty-six years.”
“I’m fine, though. I don’t know. It’s all hitting me now,” I say, throwing my arms in the air.
“Do you trust me?” Will asks.
“Yes,” I reply without hesitation.
He pulls me into a hug, his arms wrapping around my waist.
“Okay. Be happy for this, okay? For us. It’s been a long time coming.”
“You can say that again.” I chuckle into his chest.
“Sometimes things work out when we least expect it,” Will says. He pulls away enough to bring a hand to my face, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “The universe knew we needed each other this time.”
“The universe?” I giggle.
Will laughs too. “Yes, love, the universe. Pretend with me for a moment, okay? We have spent most of our lives getting to know each other, and even if it took another three years before you were able to be mine in the literal sense, I would trust that one way or another I’d find my way to you.”
“Because we are endgame?” I ask.
“Because we are endgame.”