Sittingon the steps of Oliver’s house, I wrap my arms around my body as there is a small breeze. The light from the street and Oliver’s porch is enough for anyone to see that I’ve been waiting for a while for him to return home.
I’m confident with my choice.
Honesty is the best policy, right?
When I see a car slowing in front of the house, it’s obvious that it’s Oliver in a taxi. The patter in my chest rockets to record speed as I watch him thank the driver and grab his suitcase.
Oliver notices me right away and stalls for a second as the car drives away, adjusting his carrier bag on his shoulder. He lifts his chin, and the streetlight catches the smolder in his eyes.
I propel myself up from the steps and wait for him to walk closer.
“I wasn’t expecting you,” he says in that voice that lacks surprise because he’s unreadable for my spontaneous visit, but he doesn’t seem to mind if I get any hint of where his mind might be.
I stand there in our face-off, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but when he slowly begins to walk my way, it all vanishes.
“I was waiting because…” My eyes dip down then flick right back up. “I don’t want last weekend to end.”
He slows his walk with his eyes staking my own. When he stops in front of me, it feels as though I’m about to jump off a cliff because I just revealed my wishes. It’s in his hands to make it come true or not.
“Hailey…”
12
OLIVER
She’s standing in front of my house, having waited for who knows how long.
And she’s right where she should be.
Hailey is more beautiful when she seems afraid. I’m not sure that’s something I should enjoy, but right now, she’s anxious because she just admitted something that I very much understand.
“Hailey…” Her eyes grow wider in anticipation. The strap of my bag slides off my shoulder, and I let the bag drop to the ground. “I don’t want to forget last week either.”
Her face relaxes while a droll smile appears on my own. She takes one step closer, as though she’s fearful she might break. “Really?”
It causes me to grin. “Yeah, really.”
All week, I’ve been thinking about her. I thought space would be the escape I needed to move on from the wedding weekend, but it only made me realize how much I don’t want to be the good guy who follows rules all the time. I want to beherguy.
I glance to my right then left, not forgetting that we are standing in front of my house on Everhope Road. If we’re notcareful, someone in the neighborhood will spread gossip like wildfire.
I indicate with my head behind her. “Come on.”
Her gentle smile sticks as she follows behind me, and I unlock and open the door.
The moment that we’re inside with the door closed, I drop my bag, and we look at one another in a whimsical state. Is it still disbelief?
I swipe my thumb across my end-of-day stubble. “So yeah, I don’t want to stop sleeping with you or kissing you. But this isn’t going to be simple.”
Hailey hesitates but treads slowly toward me. “My brother,” she states simply.
Our eye contact doesn’t break. “He’s on his honeymoon for a while. We don’t need to worry about that now, right?” I’m trying to convince myself of the logic. Now it’s me who takes one foot forward to curl my arms swiftly around her middle to pull her against my body.
“You’ve been thinking about this?” She’s asking a silly question, but I hear the doubt deep underneath.
Smirking, I’m going to have to snap us out of the disbelief that we are on the same page. “All the fucking time for way too long. Only made worse in the last week.” I cage her face between my palms and lift her lips to ensure I can perfectly capture them when I lean my mouth down.
It’s a deep welcoming kiss. This isn’t passion, just purely a kiss of truth. We have a connection beyond the bedroom, and this is our reminder. Our reunion is only a week later, but it feels like way too long.
