“You make me happy, Cal,” she whispers. “I never imagined I could be this happy.”
“I never imagined love could be like this,” I say, gazing into her beautiful eyes that speak to me more than words. They’re open, sincere, trusting—and they’re looking at me like I’m the most important person in her world.
All that matters is right here, right now, in the softness of her kiss and the warmth of her touch.
The uncertainty that once lingered between us is gone, replaced by a deep trust we’ve both come to understand. It’s as if we both know the love we've felt for each other is finally ready to unfold.
Her hand reaches up to gently cup my face. I pull her closer, feeling the rhythm of her breath against my lips. She doesn’t pull away, doesn’t resist. It’s complete surrender, a mutual promise that we’re here, together, in this.
I kiss her softly, but with a sweet intensity we both feel pulling us deeper and deeper into each other.
When we finally pull apart, our foreheads rest together, both of us breathing a little faster than before. Then she looks up at me, her eyes dark with emotion, and I see it.
The same love.
The same certainty I feel.
She doesn’t need to say anything.
I know.
Chapter 27
Danielle
I gently shut the door and engage the lock before quietly heading toward the hallway.
"Where have you been, young lady?" exclaims Tina, who's sitting on the couch with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
I jump, startled by her voice, then turn toward her. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"
"Sorry," she says, with a look that tells me she's not the least bit sorry.
"It's not even midnight yet, Mom," I say, my tone playful.
She tilts her head and smirks. "Were you next door making out with the neighbor boy?"
"Yes," I admit, feeling a blush settle on my cheeks.
"Is that all you were doing?" she asks, one manicured eyebrow arching in suspicion.
"He's… he's amazing, Tina," I say, unable to find the right words to express how he makes me feel.
"You didn't answer my question," she says, eyeing me closely.
"Nothing happened," I reply. "Yes, we kissed, but we mostly talked. About Hannah, Meghan, his business… and Vincent Fletcher."
"What about Vince?" she asks, shooting me a side-eye.
I sigh and shake my head. "I don’t want to be the one to rain on your parade, but he doesn’t exactly sound like a nice person."
Tina pats the couch beside her. “Well, sit down and let me tell you what I think of him.”
I ease onto the couch, curling one leg under me. “Okay,” I say. “Spill it.”
“So, first of all, thank goodness we opted for a lawn without a ton of landscaping, because guess what landed right in the middle of it?”
I blink at her. “No.”
