Chapter 14 #3
“Are you sure? Because…I should be coming to you and trying to fit into your world, not showing up and changing everything.”
Was he the sweetest or what?
“My world is pretty boring and could use a little shaking up,” she assured him.
“And if we’re being totally honest, I am long overdue for something new and exciting.
” Then she paused. “And I really like all the new and exciting things we’ve created here.
” Her face heated at the admission, but she was so comfortable with him that she knew she could say things like that with no repercussions.
His smile was both sweet and sexy, and already had her tingling from head to toe. “I like all the new and exciting things we created too,” he said gruffly.
“But…?” Because she knew there was a but.
“But…I’m going to make mistakes and do dumb things because…
because…” Pausing, he sat up a little straighter.
“Remember that scene in Bambi when he’s learning to walk?
He was awkward and kept falling down? Well…
that’s what this feels like. My entire life has been spent with people kind of pushing me away—people who were supposed to love me—and after a while, I stopped trying to change their minds.
I got really good at being alone. But now, instead of walking away, I’m walking toward what I want and…
it feels like I don’t quite know how to navigate it all yet. ”
Reaching up, she cupped his stubbled jaw in her hands with a smile. “Neither do I. But I love that we’re going to navigate it together.”
Slater rested his forehead against hers. “So you’re okay with me coming to Seattle?” he asked, and Evie heard the vulnerability in his voice.
She softly kissed his lips. “Are you kidding? It’s everything I had been hoping for but was too afraid to ask.”
They stayed like that, the silence feeling comfortable instead of awkward.
Never in her life would she have imagined this being the way their story played out.
She had prepared herself for saying goodbye tomorrow and potentially never seeing him again, Or, at the very least, she thought she’d see him maybe once a year, and it would be by accident.
But knowing that he was coming with her made her feel like maybe she could have what everyone else had.
If only…
No. Don’t go there. He’s already giving you so much. Don’t push for more.
“You just tensed up,” he commented. “What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Evie…”
Sighing, she slowly put some space between them again. “I was being greedy and I had to remind myself not to be. It’s no big deal.”
That just made him chuckle. “You are the least greedy person I know. Unless it comes to the blankets. And your share of the mattress. Then you’re totally greedy.”
Huffing, she forced herself not to roll her eyes. “We’ve been over this. I’m half your size. There’s no way I take up more space than you!”
“And yet I wake up every morning hugging the edge of the mattress for dear life while I shiver.”
This time she did roll her eyes. “Oh, please. You wake up every morning naked and warm and so damn sexy that I end up wrapped around you like a vine.”
He grinned. “Yeah. I like that part the best.”
Inwardly, she sighed with relief. She’d managed to change the subject and…
“That still doesn’t tell me why you think you’re being greedy,” he said.
Well, shoot.
“Okay, fine. I was thinking of how unexpected all of this is and how wonderful it’s going to be, and then I was thinking about everyone tonight, and that had me thinking weddings, and that brought me to my brother’s wedding.”
“And?”
“And…I wish you were going to be there with me. The thought of you and me in Costa Rica…the waterfalls, the beaches…I just thought it would be a fun place for us to enjoy together.”
“Mm-hmm…”
Frowning, she kind of hated the knowing look he was giving her.
“Fine. And it would be nice if I actually had a date for the darn thing and a reason I can’t help with all the busy work they’re all waiting to dump on me.”
“Evie, I can try my best to be there, but…”
“No, no, no,” she quickly interrupted. “This wasn’t about guilting you into being there.
Like I said, my mind wandered, but I shut it down.
You have a life of your own and loose ends you need to tie up before you make the cross-country move, so…
don’t worry about it. Whenever you get there, it’s going to be the perfect time. ”
“I wish I could just…”
“Oh my goodness, we need to stop apologizing and explaining ourselves, Slater!” she said with a small laugh.
“This is a tremendous step for both of us, and yeah, things are going to go wrong, and we’re going to make mistakes, and there are times neither of us is going to get our way, but you know what? ”
“No, what?”
“It’s still going to be worth it. So, can we please just be happy that this isn’t our last night together and just go inside and enjoy ourselves until it’s time for me to leave?”
He didn’t look completely convinced but he eventually nodded. “We can do that,” he murmured as he got to his feet and held out his hand to her. “Come on. One more night to steal all the blankets.”
Evie laughed and then let out a scream as Slater scooped her up in his arms. “You think that’s not going to happen when you get to Seattle?” she teased.
“Aha! So you admit that you steal them.”
“Well…maybe a little.”
He chuckled. “It’s more than a little, but I think we can work it out eventually. How big is your bed back home?”
“Um…only a queen.”
“We’re definitely going to need to order a new bed then.”
“Ooh…can we order one of these? I swear they are the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in!”
Slater playfully tossed her down on the bed before whipping off his shirt. “That can definitely be arranged.”
“Yay!”
He kicked off his shoes and shucked his jeans before joining her on the bed. “How are you at sleeping on planes?”
“Uh…I’m not sure. I don’t fly a lot, so…”
“Make sure you pick up a neck pillow at the airport,” he said as he covered her body with his and began kissing the line of her jaw.
Arching her back, she pressed up against him in all the best places. “Wh…why?”
“Because I’m going to keep you up all night, beautiful girl. You’re not getting any sleep.”
Then he was done talking and covered her lips with his. Evie wrapped herself around him and held on for the long night.
Sleep was highly overrated anyway.