For I found my North Star in the midst of the night,
No more games to play, as you’re my guiding light.“
My nose is burning, and my eyes are brimming with tears as he finishes. The room falls silent, and my heart beats loudly in my ears, my hands damp with sweat.
I’m speechless, fucking speechless.
“Sloan…” Nash continues, “… from the moment I met you, my world shifted. You’ve become my muse, my inspiration, my friend, my anchor, and so much more. I needed everyone to know how much you mean to me.”
He steps back from the mic and jumps off the stage, standing in front of me, reaching out a hand to grip mine, pulling me to my feet. My nerves almost get the better of me when my legs shake slightly. “I love you, Sloan Wilson,” Nash confesses, and butterflies flutter in my chest. “There will never be anybody else again.”
His hand comes to cup the back of my head under my ponytail and pulls me closer to him, kissing me. I freeze for asecond before sliding my arms up around his neck, pulling him even closer, and the crowd goes wild with hoots and cheers, making Nash grin against my lips.
“Come on,” he whispers, breaking away and grabbing my hand, leading me to the exit. “Night, guys,” he yells, making everyone laugh and cheer.
The moderator returns to the mic, announcing, “Well, if that didn’t go well—” before getting cut off by the door shutting behind us.
Instead of pulling me forward, Nash turns and presses me against the wall beside the restaurant’s doors, kissing me some more. It’s like the first time as he tastes and savors me, and my head is spinning with thoughts, but I can’t seem to grasp one, drowning in his ocean scent and skillful touch.
“Nash,” I start when he lets me come up for breath while he kisses down the side of my face.
“Shh, Siren.” He finds my ear, whispering, “Don’t tell me no yet. There’s more.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
My heart is racingas it has been for the last few hours as I stand in front of the door opposite mine upstairs in our house. The nerves that have plagued me all evening refuse to go away, even after my surprise went down better than expected, and I poured my heart out on stage.
I almost shat myself.
Being the one on the stage, letting people hear my words, was something I had dreamed about but never had the guts to do, and now, I did it in front of her.
For her.
She’s making me push myself, and I love her for it.
Sloan was quiet during the walk over here, lost in her thoughts. It would have made me even more nervous if she hadn’t held my hand in a vice grip, not letting go for a second, even when I opened the door for us.
“Ready?” I ask, and she looks at me with a critical gaze.
Don’t make me even more anxious, pretty girl.
“Ready for what? What’s in there?” she asks, her curiosity evident.
I step behind her, pulling her gently into my chest. My lips brush against her ear as I whisper, “You think I would bring you here to show you something you don’t like?”
She relaxes into my embrace and leans back slightly, admitting, “No, you wouldn’t.”
“That’s right,” I murmur, my hand covering her eyes gently. “Close those pretty hazel eyes for me.” I open the door with my other hand, and she giggles softly.
The room beyond the door is a guest room, sparsely furnished with just a desk and a bed. But I had placed a wooden plank on the bed and added another table, and all the surfaces are now covered with flowerpots. The room is filled with the mixed fragrance of different herbs that hits us the moment I open the door.
Sloan takes a deep breath and smells it too.
I remove my hand from her eyes and whisper, “Open.”
Stepping up beside her, I watch intently as her eyes flutter open. When she realizes what she’s looking at, she gasps in astonishment. “These are…” She starts, and I chuckle.
“Herbs,” I confirm.
