“I know, baby. You were trying to protect Miles. I know.” I slid my hands up and down her back, holding eye contact with her.
She cupped my face, her thumbs brushing under my eyes. “Why are your eyes wet, Noah? You’ve been crying.”
“So have you,” I replied, voice breaking into a crooked laugh that wasn’t funny at all. We were a mess.
She smiled weakly and leaned back into me, forehead pressing to my collarbone. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me yet.”
The idea of that hurt worse than anything else that day. I tipped her chin up gently until she had to meet my eyes. “There is no version of this where I don’t want to see you. There’s no future with us where I’m not desperate to see you, Em.”
Her breath hitched.
“I went to my parents,” I told her, because she deserved to know. “I said everything I’ve been holding in since Nat died. I told them they don’t get to come near you or Miles again unless it’s on my terms. I yelled. I slammed their door. I stopped holding back and pretending I was fine.”
Her eyes widened, fear and hope tangling together. “Noah?—”
“They won’t bother us again. I promise.”
She cupped my face, her lip trembling as her other hand ran through my hair. “My dad said he’d help too. He knows lawyer speak and said it’s a scare tactic. He said he’d come over this week, if you want, to help. We can fight this together.”
My lips curved, and my heart beat faster, for a different reason this time. “You talked to your dad about me?”
“I love you so much, Noah. I’m so sorry I left.”
I cupped her face in both hands, thumbs steady, forcing her to look at me. “I love you too, Em. God, I want you to move inwith me. I planned to ask you, you know? I had this whole idea of doing a scavenger hunt with a key at the end. It was gonna be so cheesy.”
“Oh, I would’ve loved that.” Her eyes glittered, as Sassy bumped her head against my knee.
“Sorry, pretty girl. I know you’re there.” I bent down and kissed the top of the dog’s head, laughing as she licked my face. “Yes, I love you too, Sassy. You’re the best girl.”
Em laughed and placed her hand on my back, rubbing as I kissed her dog. It was the most perfect moment, and all we were missing was Miles. “Up for going to get Miles with me? The kid missed you like crazy this morning.”
“God, I know. That was my biggest regret. I didn’t want him to think I was leaving him.” She frowned, and I ran my finger over her forehead. “I feel like such an ass.”
“It’s okay, Em.” I moved my finger down her face, trailing over her soft skin and tilted her chin up. “Now, I need to kiss you.”
She smiled as I lowered my mouth to hers. Her lips were so soft, and tasted like cherry, and my skin tingled from the touch. I thought about kissing her so many times, so many misses, but this kiss right here? In the top five. Her sigh against my lips, the sound so happy and sure and confident, soothed the remaining ache in my chest. I slid my tongue into her mouth, tasting her, teasing her, as heat spread through my body.
Nothing was better than kissing Em Sanders.
A car honked, and Em jumped back, a pretty blush on her face as she grinned up at me. “Oh my god, were they honking at us?”
“Who cares if they were? We were putting on a show.” I pulled her against me, resting my chin on her head as I hugged her again with a huge smile on my face. “I’m so happy with you. I didn’t think I’d ever feel like this after Nat died, and you just…I want life with you. With Miles. With Sassy. It’ll be messy and hard, but I want it all. Just promise me you won’t leave even if it’s to protect us, okay? I won’t survive it.”
Em tensed, but then she squeezed me tighter. “I promise, Noah. It’s you and me and Miles. We’re our own team now.”
Damn, that sounded good.
35
EM
“Mm.”
I woke up with soft kisses along my collarbone. The kisses moved up my jaw, then over my neck and down my chest. Goose bumps broke out over my skin, and I rocked against the sheets. Warmth flooded me as Noah leaned over me, grazing over my nipples with his teeth.
“Fuck, Em. You’re stunning.” He cupped my breasts, licking and teasing them as he groaned against me. “Every part of you is perfect.”
“This is a way to wake up,” I mumbled, my voice filled with sleep. It turned into a moan though when he took one nipple and sucked it to a beaded point. “Oh, yes, that feels good.”
