“Don’t downplay it. It’s a huge deal, and you know it. Nana told me about the visit from your dad. How you’re going to repair the barn free of charge. That you would do this for us.” I slap a hand over my chest, and I’m close to breaking down. No one has ever done anything so amazing, and I’m all up in my feels. “I can’t ever repay you for your kindness.”
“I’m sure I can think of a few ways.” He flashes me a flirty smile, and I laugh. It helps to break up the heavy emotion of the moment.
“I’m sure you can, and you can bet I’ll raise the stakes.”
“I look forward to it, beautiful.” He kisses the tip of my nose, and I swoon in his arms.
I’m in so much trouble with this guy.
“All joking aside, Garrick, what you have done is nothing short of miraculous. I just.” I pause, all choked up, unable to articulate my thoughts or say what I want to say. “I can’t thank you and your dad enough, but I’m going to try.”
“We’re glad to help.” He moves us farther into the corner away from prying ears. He plays with my hair as we lean against the wall, so close there is barely any space between our bodies. “And it wasn’t completely selfless. At least this way, we get to spend more time together.”
I arch a brow.
“I’ll be part of the crew working on the barn next week,” he confirms.
“I thought you were taking a week off to chill out and catch up with Hudson?”
“Plans change.” He shrugs, and his selflessness blows my mind. In this moment, I don’t feel worthy of Garrick Allen. “Hudson has agreed to help too. Between everyone, we’ll get the barn fixed up and have Nana back in business in no time.”
You are so getting laid.
I think it, but I don’t say it. Not yet. It’s only Wednesday, and exams aren’t over until Friday. We’re hitting The End Zone to celebrate, but Saturday night, he is all mine, and I’m going to commit to him. It’s no longer a choice. I am all in now and dying to dive in with both hands. Wild horses couldn’t separate me from this amazing man.
I want to be Garrick’s, and I want him to be mine, and I’m done denying both of us what we so desperately need.
* * *
By the time Saturday night rolls around, I’m a bundle of nervous excitable energy as I dash around the kitchen putting the finishing touches to the special dinner I cooked for Garrick in between packing. Ellen left for home this morning with Will in toe. I’m heading home tomorrow, and I need to take most of my shit with me because the apartment has been sublet over the summer. Thankfully, we secured a lease for our junior year, and it’s good to know we’ll be coming back here, but it’s a pain we can’t leave everything behind.
Still, I count our blessings. Places like this are in high demand, and we’re lucky we get to keep it for another year.
I am so glad exams are behind me, and now I have the whole summer to look forward to. A summer with Garrick. I’m itching for him to get here so I can confirm what I suspect he already knows—I’m ready to officially be his girlfriend.
I have just covered the dinner to keep it warm when the doorbell chimes. The biggest, goofiest grin spreads across my face as I sprint to the door and fling it open. We move as one, our arms and lips meeting as I pull him to me, and he claims my mouth in a fervent kiss I feel all the way to my toes. Since our first very public kiss in the cafeteria on Wednesday, we’ve been kissing any chance we get and struggling to keep it PG-13. But with exams and studying, there was no time to indulge in anything else.
Now the obstacles are gone, I look forward to taking our relationship to the next level tonight.
“Something smells good,” Garrick purrs against my neck after we end our kiss. “And I’m not just talking about dinner.”
“You smell delicious yourself,” I admit, burying my nose in the gap between his neck and his shoulder and inhaling the purely masculine smell emanating from his pores. His scent is a mix of citrusy shower gel and spicy cologne, and I can’t get enough.
“Invite me in, little minx, before we give the neighbors a show.” He drags his nose up and down my neck as a door opens and closes behind him.
“Stop being so fucking hot, and I won’t lose my head,” I say, grabbing him by the shirt and yanking him into my apartment.
He backs me up with his body until my spine hits the counter. Placing the box of chocolates in his hand down beside us, he leans in and kisses me sweetly. One, two, three times, and I virtually melt into a puddle of goo at his feet. “I missed you.”
“We didn’t part until the early hours of the morning,” I remind him.
Garrick showed up last night to collect me for our night out with our crew, with flowers and a bottle of wine, and it’s a miracle we managed to make it to The End Zone because I basically attacked him with my lips and my hands, and it took mammoth self-control not to trap him in my bedroom and have my wicked way with him.
“So?” His brows crawl up his face. “That was hours ago. In case you’ve forgotten the memo, I miss you every second I’m not with you.”
I place my hands on his trim waist. “I’m so into you, Garrick Allen.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” he says before stealing another kiss. “Because I’m so hooked on you, Stevie Colson.”
