Me.I wanted her to say me.
And maybe that was the other reason she didn’t want to leave this bed. But I liked our adventures, too. I wanted to leave her with this memory. Of how good we were together. In every way.
That this could be more. Maybe. If we tried. It would be hard work, but what wasn’t?
Tessa hummed. “Well… I could go for some ice cream.”
She slipped her hand from mine, untangling herself from the sheets before heading to the bathroom. I watched her go, her lithe naked form as she swayed her hips.
One last day.
Standing up, I did my best to ignore my throbbing erection. I wouldn’t waste this last day with her. Not one damn second.
Even if that meant we didn’t leave the house for a few more hours.
It wasn’t like the ice cream wouldn’t wait for us, anyway.
If Matthew thoughtthe fact that I was in his home when he and Noelle got back from their honeymoon was weird, he didn’t say it. Just nodded, clapped me on the shoulder, and then took their luggage into the bedroom.
Tessa was still packing her stuff up in the guest room. She’dkicked me out, insisting that if I stayed in there with her, we’d just end up having sex again. She wasn’t wrong, but I still grumbled all the way down to the living room.
My cousin, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. “You know he’ll kill you if you hurt his baby sister.”
A laugh burst free from me. “Yeah. I’m not going to hurt her, though.” No, it was the opposite. She was going to hurt me. To break my heart. To leaveme.“You look happy,” I said instead to Noelle. “Radiant.”
Her cheeks were pink as she fiddled with her wedding ring. She’d always blushed easily, even while we were growing up. “Thanks. It’s still crazy saying I’m his wife. But it feels right, too. I can’t imagine my life without him.”
I could imagine. If Tessa had my ring on her finger—I cut the thought off. That wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m glad you have him,” I said honestly, though I’d said a similar variation to her multiple times over the last few years. “He’s a great guy.”
Matthew came back into the living room, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist, and I nodded to them both. “I’m gonna go get Tess.”
Noelle nodded to the couch. “Should we sit?”
I followed her, not sure what else there was to say.
Luckily, she beat me to it. “When Matthew and I first met, we both had a lot of baggage. And maybe, because of that, we both held ourselves back for longer than we needed. Neither one of us trusted ourselves to fall in love.
“It’s not like that,” I insisted. “We’re not?—”
Noelle cut me off. “Just listen. I know what you’re going to say, because I’ve been there. But I just want you to remember that your happiness is important, too. What you want is important, Oliver. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel otherwise.”
I blinked. That was… actually really great advice. “Thanks, cuz.”
“You’re welcome. Now, don’t be an idiot.”
“But what if she doesn’t want the same things that I want?”
“Then you figure out a new plan that will make you both happy. And if she doesn’t want you, then she’s missing out, Oliver. I say that as your cousin and your friend.”
“Even though she’s technically your sister now?”
Noelle smiled. “Yeah. I’ll always have your back, Oli.”
“Thanks.”
She patted me on the shoulder, and then disappeared into her bedroom, leaving me sitting alone on the couch.
