I shook my head.“We didn’t talk about that?—”
He stopped walking, moving slightly off the trail.“But it sure feels like we were in a relationship.”
I sighed.“Yeah, it did.”
He took my elbow and guided me down a second path, one that wasn’t part of the public trail.
“Are we allowed to be here?”I asked him as he led me down the dark path.
“I talked to the owners.”
He was quiet for a few seconds until we reached a trail lined with lights on the dirt.
“What is this?”
“It’s something I made for you to show you how I feel.”
“And how is that?”
There were more lights ahead, but he paused me with a hand on my elbow.“I should have talked to you a while ago, but I was waiting until after the parade.”
I let out a shaky breath and looked away from him.This was where he was going to let me down easy.
“I concocted the plan to go on holidates because I wanted to spend more time with you.I wanted to get to know the woman you are now.But I wasn’t sure you’d let me in unless I had a reason to be close to you.”
My eyes widened.Had he been interested in me all along?
“The more time we spent together, the more I realized that I never fell out of love with you.It’s always been you, Natasha.”He touched my cheek with his gloved hand, and my heart skipped a beat.
“What are you saying?”I could barely breathe.
“I love you.”
My chest constricted as I bit my lip so that I didn’t return the sentiment too quickly.I wanted to hear what he had to say first.
“I didn’t think I’d fall for you again so quickly.Then when I realized how I felt, I didn’t want to scare you off by mentioning it.I wanted to give you time to realize how you felt.”
I closed my eyes because I was in love with him too.
“You were busy with the parade, so I kept telling myself I’d talk to you afterward.But then, Mitchell needed me, and we vowed to always be there for each other.”
“I understand that.”
“But I never want you to feel like you come in second.From now on, if you’ll have me back, we’ll discuss anything like this and make the decision together.”
“I like the sound of that,” I murmured.
“Before we go any further, I need to know how you feel.”
His expression was vulnerable.
I threw my arms around his neck, pressing myself against the layers of jackets and sweatshirts.“I love you.I never stopped.”
He dropped his lips to mine, kissing me in the open, with shouts of kids in the distance and the occasional crack of a branch.
He pulled away, a smile on his lips.“I have one more thing to show you.”
I held his hand as we walked down the trail, feeling warm from the hot chocolate and content that he felt the same as I did.
