“Yes.” Stevie hated that it came out so quickly, but it was the truth. She wanted to trust Stone because, deep down, her love for him had never died. It felt like it had been compartmentalized all these years, kept safe and secure, waiting for him to return. Now that he was here, now that she had his attention again, she wanted to take it out and give it all back to him.
At the same time, she wanted to smack herself upside the head for wanting to be so reckless. He’d broken her heart once before. What if he did it again?
“I think you need this, Stevie. I think you both do.”
She spun herself around so she could face him. He didn’t move back, so he stood, towering over her, his eyes warm and kind. “What about you? This feels … weird.”
When he cupped her face, she hooked her hands on his wrists.
“Like you’re cheatin’?”
“No. Yes.” She sighed. “I don’t know.”
It did feel like she was cheating, but it didn’t. What she had with Nico … it was as new and confusing as what she had with Stone. The only difference was she was sleeping in Nico’s bed every night. That was nice, though. Being close to him, having him there. But it still felt like something was missing, and she knew that Stone’s absence weighed heavily on them. He’d only been back in town for a few weeks, but it felt like he never left, and she wanted to spend every spare minute with both of them. To make up for all that lost time.
Nico grinned, cupping her face. “Would it help if you knew I wanted the same thing?”
“Alone time with Stone?”
“Yeah.”
That did help, actually. She wasn’t sure why, nor did she care to overanalyze it, but it made her feel a little better for wanting this so badly.
“We’re gonna make this work, I promise.”
He sounded so confident it was difficult not to believe him.
An hour and a half later, Stevie was driving to Stone’s house. He’d texted a little while ago to let her know he was home. As soon as she saw the message, her heart fluttered, and her body warmed. Considering how they’d left things the other night, it was an odd reaction. After their argument, they’d agreed to set it aside for the time being and to let things happen as they were meant to happen. She’d told herself she was going to make Stone work for it, that he would have to be the one to pursue her if he wanted anything from her. Now, here she was, making the first move, asking to spend the night.
It was what the old Stevie would’ve done. The girl she’d been before Stone broke her heart and shattered her dreams. She’d been steadfast in her desire to go after what she wanted. Back then, she’d wanted Stone. And afterthat night, she had wanted Stone and Nico. Only she never had the chance to tell Stone that because he up and left.
When she thought about a future with Stone, she was conflicted. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop and feared that was her permanent setting. He had broken something inside her when he left, and she didn’t know if it was possible to repair it.
But she wanted to be able to say that she tried. If she didn’t, she would always be left wondering, and that was no way to live.
She took a deep breath as she pulled down the Jamesons’ driveway. The lights in the house were on, and she was taken back to years ago when she’d spent so many hours inside that house. Stevie had not only loved Stone back then, but she’d loved his entire family. She’d envied how close they were, and when Stone left, she’d lost that, too. It didn’t help that her parents had been only a few years from divorce at the time, their relationship crumbling a little more each day.
Stevie parked her Bronco beside Stone’s truck and turned off the engine. She sat there for a moment, staring at the barn that was no longer a barn. It was now a home. One that lacked the memories of old. Did Stone walk around inside, thinking about what had once been? Or was it so different that his memories had faded?
“Only one way to find out.”
She grabbed her backpack and got out. She shifted it onto her shoulder as she made her way up the steps to the front door. She lifted her hand to knock but stopped when she saw Stone coming toward her.
How was it possible for the man to take her breath away like that? Just looking at him brought a rush of emotion—relief, fear, anger, desire, and, yes, love. It was all there.
“Hey,” he greeted when he opened the door, his hazel eyes warm.
She smiled, unable to speak.
“Come in,” he urged.
When she walked inside, she paused to take her boots off while he took her backpack. When she was finished, Stone took her hand, leading her deeper into the house. He set the bag on one of the barstools.
“Can I get you somethin’ to drink? I’ve got pretty much everything.”
“What’re you havin’?”
He gestured to the highball glass on the counter. “Rum and Coke.”
