Page 36 of Pretend it’s Forever

CARSON

There were many reasons for me to walk away, and yet I was ignoring every single one of them.

The best possible outcome for whatever would happen next would be a broken heart, a rash decision, and a punch to the face. Namely, I would have to deal with the Cages in all of their glory, as they always stood together. It was nice to see. Hell, it was needed considering everything that family had gone through. But I should not be walking up this path with food in hand, and a questioning glance.

No good could come from this, and yet I wasn’t walking away. I couldn’t walk away.

Before I could even knock on the door, it opened widely, and Sophia stepped out onto the front porch. She looked so damn striking. Sometimes it was hard to even breathe when I looked at her. And honestly, that meant I was just losing my mind.

The summer heat beat down on the back of my neck, sweat glistening, and yet I couldn’t feel a damn thing. I could only look at her and wonder why I wasn’t walking away.

Although truly it only took a single glance to realize why I stood here.

“You came,” she said softly, her eyes wide.

You’re going to be coming later, I thought to myself, and wondered when that juvenile thought had slithered through. I wasn’t that type of man to make comments like that, or even think them, and yet here Sophia was, making me yearn for things that wouldn’t be. Ever.

She had her hair down, and it flowed into soft waves as if she had it in a braid earlier. She wore a sundress that went to her mid-thighs, and her feet were bare. Her toes were painted a coral pink—a color I only knew about because my sister had mentioned it once—and her fingernails matched.

Such a small piece of clothing clung to the slight curves that shaped Sophia, and it was all I could do not to toss the food away and push her against the door so I could have my way with her.

That would be the first of many irresponsible and irredeemable steps I could make. And because I respected the woman in front of me, I wouldn’t do that.

I sure as hell wanted to though.

“I did. I brought food. Although now I’m realizing that you might have meant for me to come over for you to cook for me. We weren’t very detailed in our plans.”

A small smile played on her lips, and she moved forward, her bare feet soft on the pavement.

“I’m glad you brought something, though I did cook as well. You said you would be here today, and well, it felt like an out of body experience. If that makes any sense.”

I moved both bags to one hand, and took a step forward, lifting my arm towards her. She didn’t flinch, and I was grateful for that. She was always so careful in the movements she made when it came to other people surrounding her, and I knew it was on purpose. All because of what that man had done. But I would take it in stride and force myself to remember why we were here to begin with.

Because I wanted her.

And I couldn’t stop.

I brushed her hair from her face and tucked a strand behind her ear. Her head tilted towards my touch, and I cupped her cheek, wondering if she even noticed she had done that.

Her eyes widened, and both of us merely stood there, the distance between us vast and yet nothing simultaneously.

“We were vague with the plans. So I brought a few things to snack on. You can have them later. I’d love to try your cooking. And yes, I am inviting myself to dinner.”

She smiled then, and shook her head before taking a step back. I immediately felt the loss of her touch but ignored the feeling.

“It’s just a veggie lasagna. The girls like it.”

“I brought something for them too.” Again, I had no idea what the fuck I was doing. Why was I here at all? With her kids in the house. It made no sense, and I was an idiot, but I couldn’t take those steps back.

There was no other purpose in it.

“The girls are inside,” she reiterated, and I nodded.

“I understand.”

Did I? I didn’t mess with single moms, nor did I even allow myself to truly want them. And yet here I was, wanting the unattainable.

“They know you now. You’ve held them.” Her eyes filled, and then she blinked the moisture away before I could utter a word. “You can be a Cage family friend. You work with my family after all, and they’ve met you, so it makes sense.”