JULIE
Landon and I ate our wedding feast of tacos on the concrete bench outside the chapel, looking everywhere but at each other. The only sounds between us were the occasional crunch of shells and crinkling of the paper across our laps. I followed him with my eyes as he stood and padded to the trash can next to the entrance to dump his empty paper bag. We never let anything dangle unsaid between us, but I didn’t know where to begin.
“So, are we going to talk about this, or just sit here in silence until we go back to the hotel?”
“They’re good tacos.” I shrugged, taking the last bite of my heavenly chicken taco, chewing slower than usual to buy myself a few minutes to gather the right words. Our practical fake wedding was now the culmination of a confusing weekend, and tomorrow we’d fly back home and try to make sense of it all.
“Did the kiss freak you out?” He leaned forward on the bench, his mouth curving in a tiny smile.
“No,” I answered too quickly, swallowing the last bite whole as Landon’s dark eyes bored into mine.
“No?” His brow furrowed as he studied me. “Because I can admit I’m a little freaked out.”
“Well, maybe a little,” I conceded and scooted closer to his side of the bench. “I doubt he could have really held up the paperwork if we didn’t kiss, but I don’t know what rules Vegas wedding chapels have. As ridiculous as the place is on the outside and inside”—I craned my neck to the buzzing neon sign—“maybe they don’t take kindly to fake marriages.”
“My mind went there too. To come all this way and get called out at the end would’ve been frustrating as fuck.”
“Yes, talk about a letdown.” I shot Landon what I hoped was an easy smile.
“But that’s not what’s freaking me out.”
“What do you mean?” I squinted at him while I wiped a napkin across my mouth.
“Iwantedto kiss you. Yes, I didn’t want any trouble getting the license, but Hal didn’t exactly twist my arm.”
I could still feel the scratch of his stubble against my chin and how soft his lips had been as they’d moved against mine. When my tongue had wrapped around his, the sexiest groan had erupted from his throat and liquefied my knees.
“And I didn’t fight you.” I shrugged, a smile sneaking across my mouth at his sheepish grin. “Of course, you’re an overachiever at that too.”
He kissed with a passion and determination that made my toes curl, and while I could reason away the sudden attraction as emotional attachment, there was no way to ignore the heat pooling between my legs after that kiss.
I’d dropped my fake bouquet at the exact moment it had all become too real.
“If that’s your way of saying you thought it was a great kiss, I totally agree.” My cheeks heated at the deep rasp of his whisper. “I’m not going to lie. I’ve had…more than friendly thoughts of you before, especially when we first met. In fact, if you hadn’t been dating Dale freshman year, I would have asked you out.”
My eyes grew wide. “Seriously?”
“Definitely.” He grinned as he gave me a slow nod. “I used to live for those skinny jeans you wore to class every day. Then, they paired us up for that weird philosophy project, and talking to you became the highlight of my day.”
“Mine too.” I moved closer and dropped my head to his shoulder. “And the rest is history, I guess.”
“I guess,” he said, resting his chin on the top of my head. “I was afraid to ask you out after you broke up with Dale because we were already best friends at that point. Other than the drunk almost-kiss after graduation, staying in the friend zone wasn’t that difficult. I’m not sure why it’s been so hard to stay in my lane the past couple of days.”
“I noticed you too. Even when I was going out with Dale.”
He reared back as his brows shot up. “Really?”
I exhaled with a groan. “The entire female population of Fordham got whiplash whenever you walked by. A good number of the guys too. I remember when you played on Dean’s softball team that summer in Pelham Bay Park and practiced in a tank top. I think even the squirrels drooled.”
His head dropped between his legs as he laughed.
“Were you one of the squirrels?”
“Maybe.” I lifted a shoulder. “It’s been a little bit of a struggle for me to stay in my lane too.”
“Losing you wasn’t an option then. And now…” He let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his head. “You asked me not to worry and promised me that you’re okay, but ever since you told me, all I can think of is what would I do without you?”
“Landon, stop,” I looped my arms around his neck when his voice cracked. “Yes, it has scary possibilities, but I’m not going anywhere. I may have to deal with new limitations and I don’t know what to expect, but please don’t think like that, okay?”
