Hallie smiled shyly. Brynn loved that look, like she was afraid but was going to do something brave anyway. “You’ve opened up my whole world. And you did it so effortlessly that I didn’t even realize it was happening at first. From the moment you stepped foot inside the inn, I was so drawn to you. I wanted to know every single thing about you even though I was intimidated by you. I love listening to you ramble about ideas. I love the way you scrunch your face up when you’re thinking about something. I love…” Hallie’s eyes went big, and Brynn’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest when she said with conviction, “I loveyou. And no matter what happens, I won’t be afraid of that anymore.”
Everything stopped. Brynn couldn’t hear the sounds of the restaurant, the clattering of silverware or the guests in conversation or the bartenders shaking cocktails.
All she could see, could hear, couldfeel… was Hallie. With a flush that wrapped around her neck and ghosted across hercheeks. Eyes that were bright and intent, refusing to look away from Brynn, even after putting her heart so clearly on display.
“And it’s okay if you aren’t there just yet. I know that things are moving quickly, regardless of our best intentions to take things slowly,” Hallie said wryly. “But I want to be honest with you. To hopefully explain why it is so important to me that we do things responsibly. Because I’m in love with you, Brynn.”
“I’m in love with you, too.” For someone who struggled with finding the right words a lot, they were the easiest ones she’d ever uttered. And when she said them out loud, warmth flooded through her.
She was so, so insanely in love with Hallie, and she had absolutely no qualms about building a life around it. Honestly, she couldn’t think of anything more fulfilling.
Her hand was still on Hallie’s jaw, and she pulled her forward. When their lips met, the din of the restaurant roared back to life. Like time had been slowed down and had finally started moving at a normal speed again, even though they were still lost in their own world.
“So, you love me?” Hallie asked when they pulled apart. She sounded a little awestruck, like she was coming to terms with the idea that her feelings were reciprocated.
Brynn would be with her every step of the way, always happy to reaffirm the intensity of her love. “I do, yes. I love you.”
Hallie smiled at her words, rubbing her cheek against Brynn’s before connecting their foreheads. “From girlfriends to I-love-you’s in a day. That’s got to be some kind of record.”
Brynn breathed in the same air as Hallie, keeping their faces close. “Can you imagine where we’ll be a few months from now?”
Wherever it was, as long as Hallie was with her, Brynn truly couldn’t wait.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Hallie had been right. About how much Brynn would love the tapas restaurant, at least. What she couldn’t have anticipated was that she was going to tell Brynn that she loved her.
And Brynn had said it back!
Even if Brynn hadn’t right at that moment, she couldn’t let herself regret uttering the words. Especially as Brynn’s entire face had lit up, like it was the most important, life-changing information she’d ever been told.
Hallie would always choose Brynn, would alwaysloveBrynn, and she desperately wanted her to know that.
Still, she wasn’t quite sure where her bravery had come from. They’d been sitting at the restaurant, and all of a sudden, an overwhelming feeling had washed over her. It had struck her a little dumb, even though she’d been accepting the weight of her feelings for weeks now. But they were somehow already stronger, especially in the face of how Brynn had been looking at her.
This new awareness had settled deep in her bones in a way that made it feel so real and present. She’d had that sensationbefore, but not like this. Not like everything in her life had been leading to this moment.
What she’d been planning, at the very least, had been to tell Brynn that, no matter what, they’d figure things out.
Because she truly believed that they could. It was insane to even think about, let alone accept.
Still, it hadn’t encompassed the depth of what she’d needed to convey. Her heart had felt so full, thinking about what Brynn had done for her the night prior. The care with which she’d held her. How Brynn had known exactly what Hallie had needed and had supported her through what could have been one of the worst days of Hallie’s life.
Instead, she’d ended the night with her girlfriend, her best friend, and her soon-to-be best-friend-in-law. The thoughts of earlier in the day had been reduced to a shitty situation instead of a moment that could have sent Hallie spiraling for weeks, if not longer. Or worse, running back to her parents and apologizing, like she’d been the one in the wrong.
All because of Brynn and the love that she’d shown to Hallie.
So Hallie had wanted to be brave. And when she’d felt the words bubble up, she’d said them out loud. Because Brynn deserved honesty and to know what an impact she made on Hallie’s life.
It was all crazy. The way that she felt about Brynn wascrazy!
The whole situation was exhilarating, and for the last hour, she’d been trying to lean into the excitement instead of any niggling fears and doubts, should they want to crop up.
They’d finally picked up their menus and ordered food when she’d realized that the restaurant would probably kick them out soon if they didn’t.
It had been no small feat for Hallie to take her eyes off of Brynn long enough to pick different things for them to try together. Deciding on what they’d get had taken close to twentyminutes as Brynn had excitedly rattled off different facts that she knew about the various items and ingredients.
And just like Hallie had known, she’d been enraptured. She’d never tire of watching Brynn engage with the world. It was probably the first thing in her life that had ever made her want to actually get out of her safe, sterile bubble.
