His brows rise. “Reading my thoughts again?”
“Easy to do when I feel the same. Also, disagreeing with you really sucks.”
He tips his head to the side. “No argument there.”
“I love the way you won’t let anything happen to not only Lola but me. I love the way you can be stubborn and romantic at the same time, and it’s annoyingly hot even if it can twist my mind. Actually, some may say you are a walking red flag because of your insistent personality. Except, I've come to learn it's your protectiveness and possessiveness for your family. Apparently, that's the kind of man I want to be with. But I think I finally know how to navigate you. The direct and tender sides of you. Plus, waking up with you is perfect. I mean, I should probably give credit to your mattress for that one,” I tease him.
“Cute.”
I smile wider. “I love our breakfasts and dinners that make me happy. Or how lucky I feel to catch your eye at work for an extra second because you’re mine.”
“Only yours,” he whispers and squeezes me closer.
“Good, otherwise lingering stares in the office would be awkward,”I retort.
He quirks his lips out in agreement. “Anything else that I should know?”
“Communication is key. That’s why when I took a step back and had a chance to breathe, I do believe that your idiot lawyer?— ”
“Ex-lawyer,” he corrects.
“He made a mistake, but at least it forced us to confront everything. I’m a broken record. Whether I meant to or not, Lola was hidden from you, and you have every right to process and navigate how to handle that in your own way.But these last months, I’ve hidden my own heart. I didn’t want to confuse a fantasy in my head that I’ve only imagined before I saw you again. Everything must be for the right reasons. The truth is the connection between me and you is ours, always has been. That also means you have the power to break it. That scared me.”
Hayes swoops up my hands into his. "Trust me. I’m going to cling to the trust you’ve given me, which means I will hold on carefully and confidently.”
“I want us, and all our future brings.”
“Marriage, more babies, in case you need clarity.”
I glare at him playfully. “I’m sure it would be tomorrow if I said yes.”
He shrugs. “You’re not wrong. I'm not getting any younger, and I already got your dad’s approval.” He winks.
Was that what he and Dad talked about at Thanksgiving? “That was fast.”
Shrugging a shoulder, I see vulnerability appear. “Maybe honorable, as my dad would say. But I already knew then that it is far more than infatuation with you. It’s too strong.”
Sighing, I partly turn to rest my head against his shoulder while lacing our fingers together. “The future comes up a lot on this bench,” I joke.
“Last time on this bench, you told me you didn’t expect things from me out of obligation.”
Bubbling a laugh, the memory comes to me. “I’m independent. But then you entered the picture, and I learned that I don’t need to be. I have someone supportive who wants to give me the world. And I want to make him happy.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never agreed with you more.”
I peer up to meet his eyes. Everything in my chest feels strong, I’m teetering on the edge of complete happiness, andthe best part is I know it’s there when I fall. “Thanks for not trying to end my lease without me.”
A smirk crawls on the corner of his mouth. “How do you know I didn’t?”
“Because I contacted them to end my own lease.” I smile at the cocky look he gets on his face at the win. “And while I’m at it, you’re right. We piece together like a puzzle to make sure Lola has the best, and I need to remember that I’m not parenting alone anymore. I shouldn’t second-guess or refuse opportunities. So I’ve told Foster that I’ll go to the conference in Houston. I have you now, and she’ll love extra alone time with you. Just don’t spoil her too much. I’ve been demoted a few times on the who-she-cuddles-first scale.”
“I’ll say no to cookies a few times or buy a balloon to even the playing field again.”
He lowers his mouth to meet mine for a soft kiss, a brush across my lips, really. “I love you, Elodie.”
“Me too. I mean, I love myself, but what I meant was me too, as in I love you,” I begin to ramble.
He grins before his long finger plants on my mouth. “I know what you meant. Don’t be adorable right now. Not when I’m trying to figure out the fastest way to get you somewhere to show you how much I love you.”
