“I think I’ll worry a little,” I said. “Just to hedge my bets.”
“You’re ridiculous and I love you,” Seth said. “Merry Christmas, Ryder,” he added, holding up his paper cup.
I touched the rim of my own to it, then drained it in one draught, tipping my head back and pouring some of it down my chin.
“Merry Christmas, Seth.”
I felt warmth at my back, and I knew who it was without having to turn around.
Ward. I knew exactly how he felt behind me, how warm and solid he was.
I leaned back against him on instinct, tilting my head back for a kiss when his arms came up around my waist.
Even in front of all these people, he still dropped a soft kiss on my lips and then nuzzled my cheek.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, straining up to kiss his jaw. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
Ward
Less than one year later…
There was nothing in the world like Ryder squeezing my trembling fingers when I was nervous about something.
In front of all these people, I couldn’t have helped being nervous. Ryder was used to it, he was on stage all the time these days, everyone in town was as used to looking at him as he was being looked at.
Standing here, in my cleanest, neatest jeans and a brand new plaid shirt for the occasion, my soul wanted to escape my body. Every part of me was trembling, and when I tried to stop one part another just compensated by trembling harder.
But then Ryder squeezed both of my hands again, and the sea breeze washed over me, and I breathed in salt air and hot sand, and the trembling didn’t exactly stop, but it stopped mattering.
I squeezed back, feeling myself tear up as I tried to smile at him.
It’d been three days since I’d kissed him. It hadn’t taken ten years to get to ten thousand kisses after all.
It hadn’t even taken one
We’d run out three days ago.
Well, almost.
There was one last kiss left, and we’d both agreed to save it for today.
“Dearly beloved,” the celebrant began, and Ryder squeezed my hands harder.
I thought maybe he was a little nervous, too.
Not quite as nervous as me, but a little nervous all the same.
As much as I wanted to listen to what was being said, all I could hear was the pounding of my own heartbeat in my ears and the rush of the waves behind us.
I was glad we’d picked this spot, the spot under the old crabapple tree. Not just because it meant I could wiggle my toes in the sand to keep myself from passing out, but because I was finally going to be brave enough to kiss Ryder here.
So what if it’d taken almost half my life?
Ryder was still standing there, waiting for me. Looking at me like he’d never seen anything more perfect. Like I was worth the wait.
