Present
It’s been a week. I haven’t seen Cass, and she hasn’t returned any of my calls. I’ve called her at least a dozen times. Now I have exactly two hours before I have to be at the airport.
In the last week while I prepared for this move, I haven’t stopped thinking about her. Even when I broke the news to my parents, the pain of that was nothing compared to the hurt of that day with Cass. She looked broken, just like the day I told her I could never love her all those years ago.
Love her…
Jesus, I need to talk to her. I drop the shirt I was about to place in my suitcase and run for the door. Please let her be home.
When I pull the door open, I nearly slam into the one person I want to see but least expected to. Her hand is in midair, preparing to knock on the door. “Cass!” I say in surprise.
She pulls her hand back and tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “Oh, are you leaving already? Your mom said you didn’t need to be—”
I reach out and pull her against me without letting her finish. “Cass, I…I need to tell you—”
“No Pax, I need to tell you…I’m sorry I’ve pushed away this last week. God, I’ve pushed you away practically our whole lives. I’m sorry. It’s just…I can’t forget you, as much as I try or as much as I should, because I know you can never pick me. I shouldn’t expect you to because if I love you the way I say I do, then I should want you to have everything you ever dreamed of—”
“You love me?”
She looks at me wide-eyed, nervous, like she didn’t even realize she said it.
“Cass, I can’t go.” Shaking my head, I hug her then push her back again. “I can’t leave you because I realize now, that dream—the idea of success and everything I’ve always wanted from life—includes you.” I let her go and begin pacing. “Shit, I almost fucked up again.” I turn and face her, and she’s staring at me with a hesitant smile on her face. “I spent my whole life chasing after something that would never be complete because you weren’t there. Don’t you see? It’s the reason why the moment Mitch asked me, I didn’t give him an immediate answer. It wasn’t really my dream, or at least it wasn’t all of it, the most important part of it. You are.” I step toward her again, taking a hold of her arms and gazing into her shocked eyes. “Cass, I’ve always been crazy about you, knowing the moment I had one taste, I’d be addicted, never able to get enough of you. You’ve always had me wasted on your love. I love you, Cass.” I grab her face and press my mouth against hers. “I love you! Do you hear me? Say something!”
The three words I’ve waited basically my entire life for Paxton Luke to say just left his mouth, and my mind is taking too long trying to wrap around the fact that he just said I am his dream and he loves me.
He stares at me, waiting for me to respond to his confession.
“Did I say something wrong? Oh, shit, do you still hate me?” he asks, sounding like the little boy I adored my entire childhood.
Shaking my head as tears stream from my eyes, I finally say the words I’ve honestly felt for years. “I love you too, Pax.”
He kisses me hard and fast, and when he pulls away, grinning, he says, “Now that sounds so much nicer than you hating me.”
Smiling, I press my lips to his over and over again. “I never really hated you, but there’s no doubt I tried. You made it practically impossible.” Then I place a long, hard kiss against his willing mouth. He kisses me passionately and with so much love.
He ends our kiss and looks down at me. “Now what happens?”
My heart feels full as I grin up at him. “I think our dreams come true.”