Page 62 of Newly Tied

“Yes,” I concurred.

“And that has nothing to do with us,” he explained, and Talia had to be slightly confused if she was giving this her full attention. “That has to do with how we—meaning me, my sister, and my mother—all feel about you.”

“How do you feel?” I asked, staring into his eyes.

“I think I made that clear last night.”

“I would like to be reminded, please.”

“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Lang told Talia, then ended the call and cupped my cheek. “You’re very needy this morning.”

“Yes,” I granted, still holding his gaze.

“Okay, so it turns out, I don’t love you as one does their best friend. I’m in love with you.”

“You are?”

He grunted.

“How do you know?”

“How do I know?”

I nodded.

“Well, see, when I’m with you, I feel the need to touch you, and hear you laugh, and have every drop of your attention on me.”

“You do?”

Quick lift of his eyebrows to tell me he did. “And even more telling is that when we’re apart, I think about you the whole time and count how long it will be before we’re back together.”

The sigh made me sound lovesick, but that was all right since I was. “That’s pretty good.”

“Well, it was messing me up until I figured it out.”

“Which is why you were still datin’.”

“Yeah. I’m not proud of that but I… I didn’t know what to do.”

“When did you figure it out?” I asked, ignoring his comment because I understood. We all retreated into the known when faced with something new. Change was never easy.

“I had it mostly done over the last month or so, but then last night, when you walked into the restaurant with Talia, I was like, finally, I can calm down. I don’t have to wonder what you’re doing anymore because you’re right beside me.”

“I knew before that.”

“And yet, you said nothing,” he pointed out.

“I was scared.”

“Which was dumb.”

“Yes,” I conceded, having trouble getting the words out.

“We’re both a little dense,” he said, drawing me close. “Don’t tell Kage.”

“Yeah, no. That’d be bad.”

He kissed me then, morning breath and all, and it was a good one, doing what all Lang’s kisses did, lighting me up inside like a pinball machine, all flashing lights and whistles.