“What do you mean?”
I shrug, leaning my back against his abdomen. He tosses the hairbrush aside and wraps his arms around my shoulders, leaning his cheek against the top of my head. God, I love thathe’s not shy about physical touch. One of us is always touching the other, and I’m fucking here for it. I’ve missed this. The quiet parts of a relationship.
Notthat that’s what this is.
I’m self-aware enough to realize I’m catching feelings hard and fast for Zach.
Yeah… that ‘no-man’ hiatus is fucked.
So, even though I know that that’s not what this is right now, I know that my delusional little heart is going to hope for that for the very near future. If this continues… I know I have the very real potential of absolutely wrecking my heart over this man.
Not to mention his girls. I’m half in love with them already, too.
“The dating scene is just… not great. Guys tend to disappear on me. Like, there one day andpoof, gone like a ghost the next. It’s… exhausting. I don’t know that I have another failed ‘talking stage’ left in me.”
His arms tighten around my shoulders, and he growls from above me, “Any man that disappears on you isn’t worth your time, anyway. And I’m going to admit that Ideeplyhate the idea of you dating.” He kisses the top of my head, and I swoon a little bit more. “Is that terrible of me to say to someone like you?”
“Someone like me?” I laugh, wrapping my arms around his, holding him closer to me, too.
He nods, then inhales deeply. “You’re young, Louise. Young and with so much life ahead of you. I’m… incredibly conflicted where you’re concerned.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, my chest tightening with apprehension. Oh fuck. Is he already breaking up with me?
“Besides the obvious?” he chuffs lightly, squeezing me tighter. “My divorce is still pending, and it’s been incredibly bitter… and I don’t trust Brittanee. Not only to threaten to take my girls from me, but… I know her. If she finds out about this… about us…”
Swallowing hard, I ask quietly, “And… what is this, Zach?”
“I don’t have a good answer for that yet,” he admits softly, and I nod. “I know I like you, more than I should. I know I haven’t felt like this in a really, really long time, Louise. I know I’d like to see where this can go.” Kissing the top of my head again, he sighs, “You’ve bewitched me.”
Oh shit. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Twisting my head to look up at him, I whisper, “Really?”
Trailing his fingers down my cheek, he nods. “Yeah. I think so.” He smiles sadly, then. “It has the potential to get really ugly, though. And I realize that it’s not fair of me to ask you—”
Shifting so that I’m facing him, kneeling on the edge of the bed, I raise my hands and cup his cheeks, scratching my fingers through the scruff of his beard. I search his eyes with mine before licking my lips. Drawing my courage.
Yeah, so much for that hiatus. Because I’m cooked. This man… I’m head over heels. Fuccckkk.
So, I do the only thing I know how to do… and dive in headfirst.
“I know that this could get ugly.” Swallowing hard, I whisper, “I will walk with you through all of it, Zach. Just… just don’t push me away if or when it gets hard, or heavy, okay? Don’t disappear on me if it gets ugly.”
His palms cup my own cheeks, and he rests his forehead against mine. He nods. “I’m not going anywhere without you, Princess.”
Twenty-Eight
Zach
“Quit fidgeting.”
Lou nods, turning to look out the passenger window of the truck. Reaching over, I place my hand on her crossed knees, squeezing. She looks back at me.
“Don’t be nervous.”
“Yeah, it’s just Nonna and Uncle Joel and Uncle Xander and our new Aunt Teddy and our new cousins—”
“Right,” Louise laughs, nodding again, turning to give Chloe a wide smile that I know is rife with anxiety. “It’s just your entire family. No big deal.”
Clasping her hand in mine and twining our fingers together, I raise our joined hands and press the back of her hand to my lips. My girl brings her eyes to mine, and she visibly relaxes.
