Page 102 of Only Ever You

My throat tightens as I watch him walk away.

“Come in and take a seat. I won’t be a minute.”

Stepping into this house for the first time, I’m not disappointed. When I was a girl, I was fascinated by this place—it’s so much bigger than my parents’ beach house. It’s fairly bare—not decorated with family photos and mementos as our house is. I didn’t see any house movers, so I guess he must have bought it fully furnished.

The living room has azure walls, and the lounge suite is a deep red—reminiscent of the colour of the gown I wore at the launch party.

I sigh as I run my hand over the back of the couch before sinking into the seat.

Moments pass before Deacon walks back out. “I didn’t realise you were coming over early.”

“I didn’t plan on it.”

He drops onto the couch beside me, and I suck in a breath. I don’t have to see him standing to know his blue jeans hug those muscular thighs, and he’s still buttoning his shirt. It’s all kinds of distracting.

“I’m glad you’re here.” His warm smile sucks me in.

I know he wants me back. Every day he works a little further into my heart, but I’m still unsure.

“And yes, I bought this house.”

“Why?”

He pauses before blowing out a long breath. “You were … eight maybe? And we came here for the summer holidays.”

My eyebrows shoot up. Deacon and Lucas were fifteen, and that was the summer that was all about girls. Jealousy ate at me while the sound of giggling carried through the air from different parts of the beach.

The last person he was thinking of that year was me.

“You told me how much you loved this house, and you dreamed of buying it as an adult and living out here.”

“I can’t believe you remembered that.”

He cocks his head. “Your family was always so welcoming. I remember a lot about the time I spent with all of you. And somewhere in a box at home, I still have a picture you coloured in for me of a dragon. I think you were five.”

I bark out a laugh. “No, you do not.”

“I do.” His eyes dance with mischief, and I’m not sure I believe him. “One day, I’ll dig it out and show you.”

Laughing, I shake my head. “That’s insane.”

Deacon places his hand on my arm. “I told you. You were always important to me.” He frowns. “And I should have known better that night. I should have come to you, no matter how superstitious you were being, and talked to you face to face.”

I can’t say anything as the conversation takes a serious turn and my stomach falls thinking about it. “Yes. You should have.”

“I’ll forever regret that, Pippa. And my actions afterward. There’s still a lot we need to talk about. Will you stay so we can talk?”

It’s all so much to take in. He bought my dream beach house because I liked it when I was eight.

Eight.

Lucas would tease me about how annoying I was, but all I wanted to do was hang out with the older boy I had such a crush on.

Deacon never called me names, even back then. He never had a bad word to say. And it turns out he paid more attention to what was going on around him than I thought he did.

I nod. “I’ll stay.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

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