“How else would we kiss hello when you get back?”
“Oh, my god,” I cry and drop my face to his, our cheeks pressed together. “You’ll fucking stay with me? You’ll be here?”
I can’t help it when he nods, I feather my lips over his. Press our faces together harder. Hold his cheek to mine.
“Why not?”
The way he uses my words has another sound clawing up my throat.
“Jesus Christ, I—” I swallow hard, my hands trembling with the admission thick on my tongue, my fingers tingling.One step at a time, dumbass.“Emmett, baby. Can I tell people you’re mine? My bubbles?”
He sucks in a breath that feels like maybe I asked too fast but then he shocks me all over again with a nod that has my heart ready to leap out and curl up on his lap. My cheek grows wetter, and I don’t fucking know if it’s my tears or his.
Shit, I’m so overwhelmed.
“I’m scared,” he admits softly, his breath catching next to my ear.
“I know. I am, too, bubs. But we can do this. We can figure this out.”
“O-o-okay.”
“Okay,” I whisper back, blowing a long breath. “Mygod, okay. Let’s, um—” Despite his acceptance, his agreement, my tie feels too tight around my throat. “Can I … will you join me on a date? A real date?”
Eyes shining when I pull back to look at them, his jaw is warm and so fuckingalivein my hands. His pulse hammers against mypinkies and it feels like my new favorite thing. Just him. His life, pounding right in my hands.
“I … I want that.” It’s so gentle. Small. Laced with fear and wonder and I feel like I’m flying.
“I’ll give you everything you want, baby. Anything. Just tell me,” I promise and press my trembling lips to the tip of his nose.
“Not everything,” he murmurs, his grip on my wrists releasing.
“I know … C’mon.” Even though it’s the last thing I want but can tell he needs a minute where I’m not touching him, I let him go and climb to my feet. He accepts my help up, going momentarily stiff.
“I … forgot where we were.”
My throat works down a swallow of guilt as he stares down at the exposed earth.
The urge to grab his hand, drape my arm across his shoulders, pull him in close to me is so strong that I step back. Grab the back of my own neck. Blow a breath.
“C-can I … have a second?”
He says it to the ground, wide eyes trained low.
“Yeah, bubs. I’ll be in the truck.”
“Hey, Tristen,” he calls, pausing me midway back to the tiny street I parked on. The wind rustles his hair when I turn to look at him, blowing the loose strands around his face that glow in the sunlight. It’s almost ethereal looking, the scene in front of me, dreamlike and filling my chest with something that feels so foreign, it aches.Like I’m staring at an angel.“Thank you.”
The corner of my lips tip up, the emotion big enough I can barely contain it.
“Pretty sure I should thank you, bubbles.”
His brow flexes like maybe he doesn’t understand that, but that’s okay.
I have the rest of our lives to show him how much he saved me, too.
Chapter 75
Tristen
