“That’s an exaggeration.” I smirk.
“It felt like it.” Her lips flicker with a smile as I squeeze her hand.
“I went out with so many women because I was searching for something I’d never find. I had it once, then I lost you. When I realised what I really wanted, it was too late. You were happy with someone else.”
“I was happy, you’re right and I want happiness with you too. If you’re sure this is what you want and you’re prepared for my pain in the arse emotions from time to time, then I’d like to get to know this older and wiser Tommy a little better.” She blushes.
“I’ll do whatever it takes if you’ll have me, babe.” I bringher closer. Our foreheads meet, and my eyes close with relief. “This is what I want more than anything.”
“Me too,” she whispers. Her soft lips open just a little and they press with mine. I should take it slow, but I’ve waited so long to make this happen that my impatience takes over. My tongue tastes her sweet cherry lip gloss while running along the seam of her mouth, and she welcomes me in without hesitation.
Cupping the back of her head, I pull her closer, our kiss deepening and becoming more urgent. This could get heavy pretty quickly, but I don’t want to rush her into anything. After seconds pass by, we finally break our connection. It’s probably for the best, at least for now, because there will come a time when this will lead to more intimate moments, and hell, I’m all in for that.
Angie sits back, a slight blush on her cheeks, and she licks her lips as if savouring our kiss.
My arms circle her. “Hey, come here,” I say, and she sits on my lap.
Our fingers entwine in our familiar way.
“It wasn’t all bad, the first time we dated, was it, babe? We had some good times, right?”
“Yeah, we had some amazing times, but it seems like an age ago. We’re all a little older now,” she says, as I brush her hair away from her face. “It’s not just about you and me anymore. We’ve got our children to consider and a family who will probably have their own opinions. I mean, what the hell will Calla do when she finds out I have feelings for you?”
I pull back. “Does it matter?”
She raises her eyebrows. “I suppose not, but she is my best friend. You always hope your best friend will be happy about your choices.”
“And what do you think she’ll say?”
Angie plays with our combined fingers, focusing on them while she speaks. “I think she’ll be okay with it. She thinks a lot of you.”
I’m doing my best to keep the smile off my face. “Really?” I ask.
“Don’t act like you don’t know.” She nudges into my side.
A few seconds go by before I ask, “Does Calla know the reason we broke up?”
“Yes. I kept it to myself for a long time, but it came out eventually. The whole thing left me with more than a few emotional scars. Calla got her Prince Charming, but mine ran off to follow his dreams.”
I wish I could erase that part of our history. “I’m sorry.”
Angie looks me squarely in the eye. “You shouldn’t apologise. It wasn’t our time, and you did what you had to do.”
She gets it. She gets me. My heart almost explodes.
“At the age of twenty-two, music was the love of my life, and making it to the top was the only thing that really mattered. It’s taken me a while to realise there's no point in having dreams if you have no one to share them with.”
Her mouth breaks out into the most beautiful smile. “I like that.”
Whisps of her hair, dance across her face in the wind, so I push them back behind her ear. Slowly, she moves forward, kissing me slowly, so I give her what she wants. Fuck, her lips are warm, familiar, and velvet soft. I can’t help parting them with my tongue and finding a natural rhythm inside her mouth. She is everything and so much more. Finally, our heads rest together and our eyes close.
“A tiny piece of me was curious to know if kissing you was how I remembered.”
“And was it?” she asks as we part.
I can’t help staring at her cherry-red lips when I tell her, “No. It’s so much sweeter.”
Angie is safe in my arms, close against my chest as we sit in comfortable silence for a while. I like it, and I’d die happy if we stayed this way forever.
