He silences me with a kiss. “Just as I need to trust you when you push, pull, or need slack when we run, you need to trust that I know how to do that with this.” He places my hand on his heart.
“I do.” I flatten my palm on his sternum, enjoying the way my hand settles against his heart’s gentle thump. The rhythmic beat is like a siren’s song; coaxing out the truth about the way I feel about this man. “I love you, Garrett.”
Those four words slip freely from my lips. They’ve lived there quietly for months, waiting for their chance to come out. Whether it’s dinner with his family, or this new spirit of pushing the boundaries of relationships, I’m emboldened to say them.
“Jensen…”
“Don’t…” I shake my head, but my gaze remains fixed on him.
This isn’t just the first time I’ve told someone I loved them, but he’s the only person I’ve loved like this. In the past, I would have been devastated to say those words and not hear them returned.
“Please, don’t say it back. Not until you’re ready. In fact, it’s the last thing I want you to tell me right now. I just wanted—needed—to say it. I have no expectations. Just an ‘I love you.’ That’s it.”
“That’s it?” A smirk plays in his timbre.
“Yep.”
“Just casually dropping something as important as I love you at the coffee shop?”
“Yup.” I flick my wrist in a dismissivethis isn’t a big deal, but it’s totally a big dealgesture.
He makes a humming noise in his throat. “Since I can’t tell you, guess I just need to do this.” He captures my mouth in a deep kiss.
Like a song’s crescendo, my entire body sings with each press. Somehow, he drinks up each crumb of those words from my lips, while giving me one undisputable truth. The words may be unspoken, but Garrett Marlowe is in love with me.
“You’re in public. Show some decorum!” Anker laughingly shouts from the table he’d grabbed for us.
“Hush or I’ll give your scone to Jensen,” Garrett snarks, twisting toward my brother.
“Are you choosing a woman over your best friend?”
“Notawoman, but the womanIlove.”
“Excellent!” Anker guffaws.
Garrett twists back to me. “You said I couldn’t tell you. You said nothing about me telling anyone else.”
I encircle his nape with my arms. “Just a casual declaration of love in a coffee shop.”
“Yep.” He leans close, allowing me to take in his lopsided grin.
I press my smile against his, allowing our mouths to say all the things.
“The Larsen lore strikes again.” Anker chuckles.
26
MILE TWENTY-SIX
BIRTHDAY PRESENT
My muscles hum with relief as the hot water licks against my body. The post-workout shower may be my favorite part of training. I glide the African Net Sponge along my legs, reveling in how toned they’ve gotten. Ten months ago, I joked with Garrett about how training and his meal plan would reshape my body, and it did—to an extent. I’m stronger with more muscle definition, but retain my soft curves and still slightly squishy belly. I love my body’s strength and what it can do.
It’s wild to think that I’m two weeks away from running an entire marathon. In the last three months, Anker and I have built a solid training routine. We train together three times a week with solo conditioning sessions on the other days, except Sundays. Since Anker is a morning person, and I want my lazy Sundays with Garrett, we swapped. I train with him Saturday mornings, go home to shower, and then head out for some lady bonding with Catherine. Each week, we have lunch, dialing in Kayla, who’s back in Oxford, for a virtual check-in, before we head out for whatever activity Catherine has planned.
The only thing I know about this week’s adventure is to dress for tea. It makes me think, we’re going to McKenna’sTea Cottage. It’s one of my favorite places to go to on special occasions.
I slip on the large pink hat that matches the 1950’s-inspired sundress that flatters my figure. With a spritz of perfume, I head to meet Catherine.
