Page 104 of Lost in the Moonlight

But a little voice inside me wasn’t sold that what was happening here had anything to do with her. I’d thought earlier that if it wasn’t Felicity, the other option would be terrifying, and I felt a tremor of that fear run through me once more. If we marked off all the boxes, and the only option left was Aaron, it would cost Willow her entire world and would ensure Felicity’s words came true for me. Because losing Willow would wipe away any chance I’d ever have for a happy ending. That third strike would be merciless and last a lifetime.

Chapter Thirty-two

Willow

YOU BETTER BELIEVE

Performed by Train

While I was in the kitchenworking on miniature lemon meringues I planned to top with gold leaf, our camera app went off at the same time the doorbell rang. My pulse skittered happily, wildly even, because I knew immediately who it was. The security team wouldn’t let a threat close enough to ring the bell, and I’d known Lincoln would eventually show up. We’d spent an intense weekend together, and our bubble may have burst, but the pull toward one another hadn’t gone anywhere.

Mom looked up from her laptop, saw my hands full, and rose to answer it.

Lincoln had barely stepped inside, had barely said hello, before she was hugging him.

She whispered something quietly, and butterflies winged around in my chest at the sight of them together. His eyes met mine over the distance. He winked and the fluttering inside me turned into a frenzied delight.

“You promised not to embarrass me,” I called out.

Mom let Lincoln go and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

“The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Earhart.”

“It’s Erica, please.”

Mom led him to the kitchen, and the look in his eyes as he got closer caused every part of my body, soul, and mind to light up. Happiness. Love. Desire. We’d been apart mere hours, but it felt like it had been a lifetime. I literally ached to be near him again. I wanted to keep him. To keep this. The pain of not knowing if I could, regardless of Mom’s insistence we weren’t leaving, was harsh and sharp.

But when he didn’t stop at the counter, coming right to me and kissing my temple while Mom watched us like a hawk, it took the pain and doubts and sent them sailing.

“I missed you,” he said. And with those three little words, I fell in love all over again.

My smile was ridiculously large as I replied, “I missed you, too.”

“My heart just exploded,” Mom said. “Have you had dinner, Lincoln?”

“No. After the food Willow made this weekend, I was greedy for more of hers.”

Mom chuckled. “It’s a good thing my blood pressure is steady, otherwise you’d have me swooning. You’ll join us then?”

“I’d be honored.”

The pleasure inside my chest grew even more until it was almost buzzing around me. Lincoln was responsible for bringing it back. He thought he was all dark shadows and torment, but he had his own light that shone brightly when he let it.

“I made baked manicotti,” I said. “It has a few more minutes,”

“With a sauce from scratch instead of a jar,” Lincoln teased.

I was happy to play along. “As if. No other kind of sauce exists.”

He swiped a finger into my meringue, sticking it in his mouth, eyes closing as he savored it. My insides ignited at the simple, seductive move.

“Don’t put your fingers in my dessert!” I scolded, but my words were missing the heat required to be a true reprimand.

“Take a seat, Lincoln,” Mom interrupted, patting the stool next to her. “I’ve never had the chance to interrogate a boyfriend of Willow’s before.”

His smile disappeared, which I hated, but he moved around to sit beside her.

“I’m pretty sure you know more about me than I know about myself,” he said with a casual shrug.

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