And she’s kissing me back.
That’s the part that nearly destroys me.
Because at first it’s hesitant—one second of shock—and then she melts.
Her mouth opens under mine, her hands sliding up my chest, clutching the front of my shirt like she needs me to stay right there—which is perfect, because I’m not fucking going anywhere.
The officiant keeps talking in the background, but it’s all muffled noise.
Filler.
Useless.
The only sounds I hear are her soft breaths, my pounding heartbeat.
And the applause—light, happy, emotional applause—coming from behind us.
Bella is cheering.
Mrs.Bosco is crying.
Someone whistles.
Someone else claps harder.
But none of it pulls me away.
I sink deeper into the kiss, into her.
Her curves press against me.
Her fingers curl at the back of my neck.
Her lips glide with mine like we never stopped, like we’ve been waiting sixteen years to start again.
This—THIS—is home.
Not the house.
Not the fame.
Not the money.
Her.
I kiss her like she is the first breath after drowning.
And she lets me.
She lets me.
And holy hell—I’m never letting her go again.
ChapterNineteen
Nathan
I finally—finally—pullback, though it feels like tearing myself away from gravity itself.
