“Not sure about the running,” I say, glancing down at my leg, “but I have a good feeling about the happily ever after.” I pull her in for another kiss and when her lips brush mine, I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I may have a long road to recovery, but I couldn’t be happier than I am in this moment, holding Harper.
Epilogue
Harper
Just one teensy tiny powernap.I shove my textbooks to the side and slump over the kitchen table, resting my forehead on my crossed arms. If I don’t take a break, I’m going to go cross-eyed trying to read the sloppy, hand-written notes from my seminar. Besides, my brain is total mush. I doubt I could even spell NCLEX at this point.
Three hours of cramming like a madwoman will do that to a person.
Whose brilliant idea were mid-terms anyway? Talk about unnecessary stress.
And, as Bri helpfully reminded me before crashing an hour ago, finals will be here before I know it.
My only saving grace? Winter break.
It’s not even Halloween yet, and I’m already counting down the days. Not just because it means spending more time with Chase, although that’s definitely at the top of my Christmas wish list.
Right next to mind-blowing orgasms and four weeks of sleeping in.
#priorities
Despite my enormous workload, the last few months with Chase have been incredible. His constant optimism and lighthearted spirit are the perfect counterbalance to my ownone-exam-short-of-a-nervous-breakdowndisposition. Proof—according to Bri—that opposites really do attract.
She’s probably right because even now there’s a hollowness in my chest that only Chase can fill.
Which is why I live for the weekend when I can drive up to Millheim and visit him. His parents have been great, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one looking forward to the day he gets that damn brace off so he can drive. The guy is not meant to be cooped up inside for long stretches of time, and with only physical therapy to keep him busy, he’s been…restless.
Or, as his mother likes to say, ornery.
More like starts with an H and rhymes with ornery.
Heat pools low in my belly at the thought of Chase’s calloused hands sliding over my body, his mouth claiming every intimate inch of me. The man has talents that extend well beyond the football field, which, as it turns out, isn’t conducive to studying. Or napping.
Hardening nipples on the other hand…
Knock! Knock!
I bolt upright and glance at the clock on the microwave. Nearly midnight. Who the hell is knocking on our door at this hour? On a Wednesday nonetheless.
There’s another quiet knock, and I glance down at my thin t- shirt turned nightgown.Spoiler alert: it’s doing nothing to hide the twin peaks. So, yeah, not really interested in answering the door as the braless wonder, but Bri’s got an exam in the morning, and I don’t want the idiot at the door to wake her.
College apartments are the worst.
Muttering under my breath, I make my way to the front door and press my eye to the peephole.
Safety first and all that.
A harsh fluorescent light illuminates the patch of cement outside the door, and under it, stands a disheveled blond with the most captivating smile I’ve ever seen.
Chase.
What the hell? I throw the deadbolt and yank the door open. A frigid gust of wind whips around me, ruffling the hem of my nightshirt and raising an army of goosebumps on my legs.
“What are you doing here?” I demand, wrapping my arms around my midsection. Not that it does much good.
A crooked grin spreads over Chase’s face, like the answer should be obvious. “I wanted to see you.”
“No, I mean how did you get here?” I ask, leaning forward and craning my neck toward the parking lot. No sign of Uber. Hell, there are no signs of life. All I get for my trouble is the familiar evergreen scent of Chase’s aftershave intermingled with the cool fall air.
