Olivia’s tiny intake of air seemed to vibrate through the room. Shocked, she dropped her hand, letting it simply fall into her lap.
She’d wanted to hear him say those words for so long, and that moment had been so perfect...she had to have imagined them, right? This was too important not to be sure.
“Wh-what did you just say?”
For a second, he looked as surprised as she felt. Almost as if he hadn’t meant to say it. Just when she was certain he was going to take those precious words back, Jake gave her that crooked smile she loved so much and shrugged.
“I said I love you.” He exhaled loudly, as if he’d been holding the words back for an eternity. “God, Olivia...I love you so much it hurts And just so we’re clear, this isn’t a ‘I-was-your-brother’s-best-friend, you-and-I-have-known-each other-for-years kind of love’.”
He dropped out of the squat onto his knees and took her face between both of his hands. His gaze never strayed, and the blue in his eyes deepened with emotion. “This is a, ‘you’re-my-entire-world, I-can’t-live-without-you kind of love’.”
“Jake,” Olivia whispered as tears began leaving sliver trails down her cheeks. She’d never been a crier, yet it seemed like that was all she did around him, lately. Jake simply thumbed them away.
“I’m in love with you, Liv. Have been for years.”
Oh, my God!“W-why didn’t you ever say anything?”
He looked up at her with such sincerity, Olivia’s heart overflowed with love.
“Because, sweetheart. I don’t deserve you. You should be with someone who can give you the world. A guy who won’t leave you on a moment’s notice to go somewhere you can’t know even about for weeks on end. You should want someone who—”
Taking his hair in a death-grip between her hands, she interrupted him with a hard, fast kiss on the lips.
“I know exactly the kind of man I want to be with. I’ve been in love with you for as long as I can remember, Jake. I loveyou.”
In that moment, Olivia’s entire world shifted. Everything changed.
The looks they gave meant more. She could feel more in his touch. It was familiar, yet new. And despite everything else that was going on in her life,
Olivia’s soul became filled with a sense of joy and peace she’d never known before.
Leaning up, Jake took her mouth with his, giving her every ounce of his love in that one kiss. Olivia did the same for him.
Without speaking, they both stood. Jake swooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, where he spent the rest of the night showing her just how much those three little words meant to him, too.
Chapter 7
