“What?”
“They’re good with their hands,” I told him, squeezing his hand.
“Oh, I promise they’ll get the job done,” he said quietly as he leaned in, pressing his mouth to mine.
We both pulled away shortly after the kiss started, when the waitress was back with our food. We let our conversation fall away as we dug into our dinner.
Even though the conversation stopped, my imagination didn’t. I saw the two of us finding our perfect house together. I could see us working to fix it up. I pictured our wedding day—I envisioned us having a small ceremony on the beach. I saw my stomach swollen with our first child: a boy who grew to look just like his daddy. I saw us living our lives together, happy and content. I imagined opening my own bakery and having Oliver there with me, my dream becoming his as well. I saw myself getting pregnant again, this time with a girl. Having one of each, our family would be complete. I could see us growing older together, raising our children, and enjoying every class play, every sporting event, and every big dance. I could even see our kids going off to college to start their own lives, leaving Oliver and me behind to start on our next journey.
By the time we were done eating, I was already so invested in our lives together that it felt like we’d known one another for years rather than just weeks. I wasn’t scared to take the next step with him because I knew it was exactly what I was supposed to do. I knew he was the man I was always meant to be with. He was my other half. The first portion of my life was over. It was rough, but it led me to where I was supposed to be all along.
With him.
A happy future wasn’t promised, but things like that never are. If something is worth anything, it’s worth working for, and we were both willing to put in the work. The best things in life are free, but they’re worth more than anything money can buy.
Oliver came into my life like a burning meteor crashing to Earth. It was loud, dramatic, a little scary, and definitely exciting, leaving me with more questions than answers. But all the best things do. Moving forward, all you can do is trust that the universe is leading you in the right direction.
I knew that one day, I’d be an old lady looking back, and my vision would be 20/20 again. I’d see that every step we took was exactly right. And I’d thank my lucky stars that he came blazing into my life the way he did because he saved me. He saved me from a loveless life. He saved me from myself and everything I thought I knew. I guess stepping out of your comfort zone did pay off. Sometimes you just have to quit that job, break up with your boyfriend, or steal that car. You might think you’re making a mistake in the moment, but when it comes down to it, you’re really just taking a step in the direction of a new life.
“Why don’t we stay one more night in a hotel before we start looking for a permanent place?” Oliver said with a smile on his lips as we stepped outside the restaurant. He reached down and took my hand in his, and my eyes fell between us as a smile tugged at my lips.
“Alright. We can wait one more day before starting on our new lives.”
He nodded. “Let’s go get a room for the night.”
We rented a room at the first place we found, and the second we stepped inside, he spun me around and pressed my back to the door.
He stepped up to me, pressing his chest to mine. Our eyes were locked, and our lips were nearly touching, but he didn’t move in to kiss me. Instead, it was like he wanted to hit pause on the moment, savor it.
“I love you, Amelia.” He moved his hands to cup my cheeks.
I wrapped my hand around his bicep as I stared into the glowing depths of his green eyes. “I love you too, Ollie.”
I could see the effect my words had on him. His jaw twitched, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his eyes darkened with desire. His tongue ran across his lips, and then he slowly moved in until he was pressing them against mine.
The kiss was slow but deep. It wasn’t rushed. It was serious and passionate. He wasn’t in a hurry. We no longer had any reason to rush. We didn’t need to run from anyone or to any particular place. For the first time since we met, we were free to take our time, to explore, to memorize, and that’s exactly what we spent the night doing.
As my heart raced faster, my lungs doubled their rhythm, and my body grew impatient. I needed more than he was giving me, and it was driving me crazy. I fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. I kissed him faster, pulling off my own clothes.
He let me remove my top and my jeans before he broke our kiss. I watched his eyes darken as they ran over my body. Then he smirked before reaching over his head and grabbing his shirt. He pulled it off, slung it onto the floor, and then started working on his jeans as he kicked off his shoes. He was down to his boxers when he picked me up against him. I wrapped my arms and legs around him as I moved my mouth to his.
He lay me across the bed and covered my body with his. I ran my hand over his back, feeling the bandage that covered his wound. It tightened my chest. I was so close to losing him. I knew that every time I felt the mark left from that bullet, I would thank God for giving me another day with him.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips.
“I love you,” he replied, fisting my panties and yanking them down my legs. “Fuck, I love you, Amelia,” he said as he thrust into me for the first time in too many days.
I didn’t need to die to know I was in heaven.
Oliver took me there on repeat as he drilled slowly into my body. He was gentler than usual, but I knew he was healing.
I didn’t mind the soft kisses and whispered words as we made love.
“You going to come for me?” he rasped against my lips as he snapped his hips forward.
“Y-Yes,” I moaned as the heat from my release blanketed my body.
“God, baby, I love when you come for me. Show me how good I make that pussy feel.”
