Lana had sent me a message last night, telling me she would spend the night at Holland’s, and even though a part of me wanted her here with me, I accepted it without pushing and told her to have a good night. The kitchen wasn’t fully cleaned anyway, and I didn’t want her to walk back into the chaos her mother had created.
I had called people right and left, arranging for cleaners to take care of the mess while I handled everything with Eden at the police station, filling out forms and making more calls before finally getting back home to help the cleaners finish.
I didn’t want to be the guy who stood around doing nothing, so when they left later that night, I stayed up and kept cleaning the kitchen until I was satisfied with it. By this morning, the kitchen looked decent. The cabinets Eden had destroyed needed to be replaced, and the fridge was still empty, but I planned to fix that before Lana set foot inside the house again.
Around noon, I ate lunch and went grocery shopping, filling the cart with everything I knew she liked and everything I needed to restock. When I got home and carried the bags inside, my phone buzzed with her name on the screen.
I leaned against the kitchen island and picked up. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She sounded calm.
“How was your sleepover?”
“Good. It was fun.” I heard the smile in her voice, and it eased the tension in me. She had needed the distance and the comfort of her best friend, and I was glad she got both.
“I’m glad,” I said.
“Me too.” She went quiet for a moment before adding, “Can you come pick me up?”
“Yeah, of course. Do you want me to come right now?”
There was another small pause. “Yes, please.”
“Okay.” I smiled, feeling that familiar pull in my chest at the thought of seeing her again. “I’ll be there in twenty.”
“Okay. See you then.”
I put away the groceries after she hung up, and once the last bag was empty and the kitchen was fully stocked, I headed straight out to go pick her up. After parking on the side of the street in front of Holland’s building, I walked to the entrance and let myself in. I took the stairs to her floor, then knocked on the apartment door.
The door opened, and Lana stood there looking up at me with a sweet, genuine smile that made my heart do the craziest flips. She was wearing the same loungewear set, but her hair was now pulled up into a messy bun at the top of her head. She had never looked more beautiful.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” I smiled back, forcing myself to keep my hands at my sides, even though every instinct screamed at me to reach out and pull her to me. “You look beautiful.”
Her cheeks turned a rosy pink. “I haven’t even taken a shower yet.”
“And you still look beautiful,” I told her with a grin, unable to stop myself.
She bit the inside of her cheek and leaned against the side of the door, her fingers gripping the wood tightly. She was trying to hide from me, seemingly shy after my compliment, and I found it adorable. I tilted my head to the side and studied her, simply taking in the sight of her face as she looked up at me. Reaching out, I gently pinched her cheek with the backside of my fingers in a small, affectionate gesture that felt more intimate than a grander touch would have.
“You ready to leave?” I asked.
She nodded, her smile growing slightly. “Yes. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the apartment, leaving the door half-open, and I heard her muffled voice talking to Holland, who seemed to have just gotten out of the shower based on the sound I heard from the bathroom. I waited with my hands in my pockets, my gaze fixed on the sliver of the apartment I could see, just soaking in the fact that she was okay.
When she reappeared a moment later, I stepped aside to let her exit, and as she moved past me into the hallway, I closed the door behind her. The moment the latch clicked, I was at my limit of holding back.
I wrapped one arm securely around her waist, pulling her back against me. I took one step forward, pressing her gently but firmly against the wall of the hallway. I lowered my head, my eyes locking with hers for a split second before my lips found hers. The kiss wasn’t gentle or tentative. It was desperate. I poured all of my relief, all of my worry about her, all of my love into that one kiss.
She kissed me back instantly, her hands coming up to rest at the nape of my neck, her fingers grazing the back of my head gently. She responded with an equal intensity, her lips parting under mine, and a soft sigh escaping her as she deepened the kiss. I pressed closer, my body melting into hers. I lifted my other hand to cup the back of her head, holding her to me.
I slowed the pace, my lips moving against hers with tenderness, savoring the taste and the feel of her. Her hands slid down to rest on my shoulders, and I slowly broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to look at her. The shadows of fear and exhaustion that had haunted her eyes over the past couple of days were gone, replaced by a look of contentment that made my heart feel full. I brought my hand up from her waist to gently cup her face with both hands, my thumbs stroking her soft skin there.
I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you ready to go home?”
She nodded slowly, her voice full of conviction when she said, “I’m ready.”
Back home, Lana stopped in the kitchen doorway, her eyes wide with surprise. I gave her a moment to take it all in, to register that the room looked nothing like the disaster her mother had left behind. The counters were empty, the floors were clean, and the only reminder of that night was the gaps where the destroyed cabinets still needed to be replaced. Her gaze drifted slowly across the room, and a small frown tugged between her brows.
