“I’m not sure what that dude did to her, but she’s clearly got a grudge. Let’s go inside,” he said over the barking.
I followed him in, trying not to fixate on where he’d left off.
Him wanting me.
Owen placed a still-agitated Marti on the floor in the foyer. She immediately trotted upstairs. “Neighborhood watch, reporting for duty,” he said as he watched her run up. “Want to go sit out back?”
I glanced into the world’s most perfect room wistfully. “Can we hang out in your library?”
On the couch where we made love?
“You make it sound so fancy.” He chuckled as he walked in and switched on a lamp. “It’s a room with books.”
I followed him and felt the tense bands in the back of my neck loosen.
“It’s an endless wall of books with asliding ladder,” I added. “So library.”
We settled on opposite ends of the couch facing each other. There was static between us, just like last time, only now it was tinged with worry, not heat. I realized that I was staring at him, trying to analyze every eyebrow flick and frown as he settled on what he was going to say next.
Meanwhile, my heart was careening around in my chest, waiting for my turn to plead my case again.
Owen scrubbed his hand over his face. “Where were we?”
A moment of quiet while I gathered my courage.
“You said you liked me. Past tense.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up as he nodded. “That’s right.”
“I need you to know that I like you too,” I said tentatively. “Present tense. A lot.”
His face softened into a full smile. “You’ve been trying to tell me that for a while, huh?”
“I have.” I grinned back at him as tiny blossoms of happiness started to burst open inside of me.
“I’m sorry I made it so hard on you. It’s just...” Owen gestured in front of himself, then sighed. “There’s no point for me to keep repeating myself. I’m sort of a broken record.” He went quiet, and his expression turned a little sheepish. “You’ll never guess who finally convinced me.”
I shook my head and shrugged a shoulder.
“The man himself. Said he asked you out to dinner and you said no. That, plus the millions of texts from you made me realize that I was being...”
“Obstinate?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Fancy word.”
I tapped my temple. “Writer.”
“I was thinking ‘asshole,’ but we can go with ‘obstinate.’”
Owen leaned over to take my hand, and when he slid his palm against mine and closed me in his grip, I felt like I could finally exhale.
“My turn,” I said.
I’d already told him much of what I was about to say, but notin person, so that I could watch his expressions as I confessed how much I’d grown to care for him.
Toneedhim.
“You make me really happy, Owen. Being with you was the best part of my week, even if I had to wake up so early it made my eyes bleed. You pushed me, and at first I hated you for it. But look at me now. Third place, baby!”
