I tried the number three different times. My stomach sunk further with attempt. My worst fear came true. I’d finally driven Pierce away.
I may not have practiced my speech but in the moment the words came on their own. Every word I’d ever wanted to say tore themselves from my chest. Or rather my words summed everything up nicely.
“I’m a fucking moron.”
Pierce’s eyes twitched, and he tilted his head to the side, but I didn’t want to give him time to close the door in my face. Since he hadn’t pulled me into his arms, I did it for him and ran into them. He stumbled back from my unexpected movement, and I grabbed him in his middle and held on tightly so he couldn’t pry me off without doing damage to his expensive shirt. Being next to him felt right. So right. Perfect. Where I should have been all along.
He was only wearing a white t-shirt, but knowing Pierce it cost over a hundred dollars and he had it tailored to fit him exactly or ridiculous shit like that.
“Katy?” he asked as his arms crossed around my back and squeezed as if he needed a second to confirm my realness. It’s possible he thought I’d disappear at any second.
I nuzzled my head into his shoulder, something I’d wanted to do for years but never allowed myself to do often. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. For everything I have done or said to you. Not just now, but forever. I should have told you this the first time I realized it in third grade.”
Pierce pulled back so we were an arm’s length apart even though he didn’t let go of his hold on my shoulders. “What?”
I swallowed, making sure when I said it my words would be clear and he’d never question them. If he turned me away now, I’d see we were truly done. “I love you.”
My smile grew even as a tear tracked down my face—a sad tear for Nanna and a happy tear for what I hoped my future held. The words came easily, better than I expected. It wasn’t hard to admit what I’d kept hidden for years. If anything, it felt freeing.
I loved Pierce Kensington. Every grouchy-rich-asshole-bossy part of him. I’d loved him since he helped me rescue frogs in third grade—before I knew frogs didn’t die in the sun—and I still loved him. My love only grew over the years. The harder I tried to stuff it into a dark corner it continued to shine free and light up every part of my life.
I never left Pelican Bay because he lived here. I inserted myself into every project because Pierce did the same. When we sparred against one another, at least we were beside one another. Pierce was my first love and then he became my biggest enemy. Regardless of his role, he’d always been there, and if he’d forgive me, he’d become my greatest love.
Our perfect relationship only needed one more part. Him. Had I fucked up so much he didn’t love me anymore? Could he fall that quicky out of a love that took decades to cement?
Please don’t let me have messed this up, I prayed. I didn’t pray when my grandmother died, and I didn’t pray when I’d been kidnapped on a boat on our way out to sea to become fish food, but right then, I prayed. Hard.
Everything hung on the moment and he let it sit empty.
“Well?” I stared into his crystal-clear blue eyes and my heart died second by second without his answer.
Then as if he’d prolonged my heartache in retribution for the times I’d done it to him, Pierce smiled. “Fuck, Katy, I’ve loved you since you named the frog Jasper.”
It was enough, but it wasn’t. I had years of insults to make up for between us. “Pierce. Can’t you see? I just want you. And me. I want love.”
Gah. I sounded like a dork even to myself. Thank god we didn’t have an audience. I’d have to kill him if he ever told anyone how mushy I let myself become with my declarations.
He nodded and his body shook as he drew me back to him. For the first time ever I went willingly, and it felt amazing. Complete. We were destined. “Is that all you want from me? Love?”
“It’s everything.”
“Katy,” he said my name softly and tried to move me again to see in my eyes, but I refused to leave his grasp, “you’ve been the only one to touch my heart since fifth grade.”
“Then kiss me already.”
Pierce choked on a laugh. “You have to let me go first.”
Huh? Oh, right. I released my hug, and my arms ached from how tightly I’d been holding on to him. Enough to keep him this time. Forever.
Pierce peered at me with an expression I’d seen him wear a hundred times but didn’t have a name for until that moment—adoration.
I planned to apologize more, for the years we lost with my stubbornness, but the words vanished when his lips took possession of mine and I let Pierce Kensington—sworn family enemy—steal my soul.
That kiss led to another and another and another and before I realized how it happened, I found myself naked in Pierce’s bedroom.
My fingers played with the hem of his shirt as he loomed over me in his big ass bed, but he stopped me before I could pull the piece of fabric over his shoulders. “Promise me this is real,” he said.
“It’s real.” I tore his last remaining piece of clothing from him. It was only fair we both be naked.
