Chapter 9
Reynolds
I’m panting as Arlo wriggles up beside me and wraps his body around mine. He’s always such a cuddly thing after sex, and most of the time I love this side of him. Tonight, it’s too much.
Because this conversation needs to happen.
I ease back a little so I can see him, but Arlo turns his face into my armpit and refuses to meet my eyes.
“Hey …” I try to coax him back.
“I don’t want to talk,” comes his muffled reply.
My heart squeezes because that can’t be a good sign. “Well, I think we have to.”
“Nope.”
“Arlo, I’m serious.”
His sigh hits my side before he finally pushes up onto his elbow. His eyes look bluer than usual because of the red rings around them. “Fine, what?”
I slap his ass so hard he jolts. “You don’t need that tone.”
“And we don’t need to talk. Aren’t you the one usually getting out of these conversations anyway?”
“Not this time.” I try to keep my face neutral so he knows I’m not messing around. “Why you didn’t you tell me?”
“I said—”
“Don’t give me that complicated shit. What’s so complicated about saying hey, it won’t just be the weekend, I’ll see you next week too? Literally nothing.”
Arlo worries his bottom lip, so I pluck it from between his teeth. He clearly doesn’t want to answer.
“Fine, let’s go simpler, then. How long are you home for?”
“That … isn’t much simpler. I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Because it depends.”
It’s like trying to draw words from a rock. “What does it depend on?”
Arlo finally locks me in his pretty stare. “You.”
Me?
With one word he both unsettles and elates me. I have an inkling of what he’s getting at, but I refuse to let my myself get excited if this isn’t going the way I think it is.
“Let me go first,” I say. He frowns, but hopefully he won’t be wearing that look for long. “A bit over a decade ago, I fell for my best friend’s little brother.”
He sucks in a sharp breath.
“We fooled around at first, just a pair of dumb kids, and when he left me for college, I had to pretend like I wasn’t heartbroken.”
“Oh my God …” Arlo reaches for me, but I hold him firmly where he is.
“The last ten years have been both amazing and complete torture. I’ve missed you so much when you’ve been away, but seeing you live your life exactly the way you’ve always wanted to has made me so happy.
I’ve been jealous of your boyfriends, I’ve felt completely unsatisfied with any other guy, and yet all it takes is seeing you to make everything better again. ”
“I feel exactly the same.”
That makes me smile. “But now, I want to settle down. Seeing how happy Matti and Liv are makes me want that for myself. Which means we have a choice to make.”
Arlo blinks back the tears that have started to form. “What’s that?”
This is the hard part. I swallow thickly and say, “Well, either you feel the same and we figure out a way to make things work between us … or this is the last weekend we have together.”
“You could do that? Walk away?”
His cute pout is adorable. “Shit, baby, not easily. It’d probably kill me at first, but I can’t give myself to someone else if I’m still …” Ah, screw it. “If I’m still completely in love with you.”
The words have barely left me when Arlo fights against my hold and launches at me. His body covers mine as his lips claim my mouth with enough force to bruise. “You love me?”
“Haven’t I made it obvious?”
His lips are back on mine, and he pushes his tongue into my mouth.
There’s absolutely no restraint as he kisses me, so I bury my fingers into his hair and deepen the connection.
I’m still waiting on an answer, but even if Arlo hasn’t told me in words, I know this kiss isn’t the end.
My cock is starting to take interest again, but I ignore it, content in exactly where I am right now.
When he finally pulls back, his pink lips are so swollen it makes it hard to keep my mind on the conversation.
“That was some kiss,” I finally say.
“I never thought I’d hear those words from you.”
“Which words?”
“I love you.”
“You love me?”
“Smart-ass.” He breathes a small laugh into my neck. “Haven’t I been obvious?”
My heart fucking soars. “So what’s next?”
“Next …” He props back up to push my hair off my face. “Next, I move home, I guess. Settle down, hopefully with the man I love, and be there for when my niece or nephew is born.”
I’m so stunned by the fact he’s moving home that his last words barely register. “Wait, which niece and nephew?”
“Shh!” He slaps a hand over my mouth. “You know nothing.”
“Liv’s pregnant?”
“What part of ‘know nothing’ wasn’t clear?”
“Holy shit.” I’m spinning out because, wow. I knew they wanted a family, but this is way sooner than I realized.
“If you don’t act surprised when they tell you, I might have to take back that I love you.”
And there are those three perfect words again. “We’re going to be the best fucking uncles that kid could ever have.”
Arlo’s smile is blinding.
But even with the overwhelming excitement, even knowing he loves me and he’s coming home and I don’t have to say goodbye this time, there’s one step we’ve skipped.
“Ah, shit.” I cringe.
“What it is?”
“Before we get started on all that … there’s one more thing left to do.”
“Which is …” Understanding dawns on him.
Tell Matti.
And hope he doesn’t hate me for it.