Page 119 of Tangled Up In You

"And he almost killed you and that little girl."

"He was the one driving the car, yes. Brenda told me that Mercer got frustrated when he couldn't find the diamond and kept running into you, but Erica forced him to try one last time. When I heard that I came straight here."

Her mother stood up. "I'm going to make tea and then start packing. I'll let you two talk."

As her mother left, she got to her feet. Adam came closer, but not as close as she wanted him, leaving a few feet between them, which seemed like miles of uncertainty.

Her mom was right. She needed to fight for what she wanted, but she had to start with a thank-you.

"You saved my life, my mom's life, too," she said. "I'm very grateful, Adam."

"I don't want your gratitude, Molly. I want more than that. I don't like the way things ended between us." He paused. "But maybe I'm too late. Your mom wants to start packing."

"Yes, she does."

"Well, you need to know something, Molly. And late or not, I'm going to say it."

A knot grew in her throat at the look in his eyes. "What do I need to know?"

"I'm in love with you." His words came out in a rush. "But that's not all. I love you, too. I don't want there to be any confusion."

Tears filled her eyes as she remembered her silly comment about not knowing the difference between falling in love and loving someone.

"I know it's fast," he added. "But you like fast."

She smiled at the hopeful gleam in his eyes. "I do like fast. And I'm not falling in love with you, Adam; I'm already there. I'm also not going to Paris. My mother is packing for herself. I want to stay in Whisper Lake."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want to see what might happen with us, if you're willing to take a chance on me. Are you?" With his history, she could understand his fear of losing someone he loved.

"I am. I don't know what the hell I was fighting so hard against, Molly. I know life and love don't come with guarantees. I didn't have the right to pressure you into trying to give me one, especially since we've only known each other a few weeks. I panicked when I thought you might go. I wasn't ready. I wanted more time with you. It was killing me to think I might not have it."

"I'm sorry that I didn't say no to my mom right away, that I didn't reassure you. Honestly, saying yes to my mother is an old and bad habit."

"She made it sound amazing."

"She did, but I didn't want to go with her."

"Not even to Paris?"

She smiled as he mimicked the way her mom kept saying Paris. "Nope. Although, I wouldn't mind going on vacation there, but not to live. I want to make a home. I don't know why I've been fighting so hard against that, either. I have always wanted a real home with roots and ties to a community, to friends. I told myself not to want any of that, because I didn't think I could ever really have it. I didn't want to be disappointed. The only way I got through the ups and downs of my childhood was not to want anything to last so that it wouldn't hurt so much when it didn't. I'm going to have to work hard not to think that way."

"I completely understand. Here's something else you should know. You said I saved you tonight. That might be true, but what is also true is that you saved me long before tonight."

"From what?" she asked in surprise.

"From a life that was too controlled, predictable, narrow, and short-sighted. You brought back a side of myself I buried along with Gina. I want that side back, Molly. I want to go skinny- dipping. I want to make love wherever we are. I want to try new things." He paused. "I love this town, and I'm happy to work here forever, but it's not as important as you are. I don't want to hold you back, Molly. I want you to still be able to fly. I just want you to take me along if you do. I can work anywhere. I can live anywhere. I want you in my life, whatever that takes. And I also want adventure. I want a full, rich, complicated, messy life."

Her heart squeezed tight at his words. "Be careful what you wish for, Adam."

He shook his head, a smile in his eyes. "No more being careful. I've spent too long playing it safe. I'm just sorry I didn't tell you this before tonight."

"You needed time to figure it out. I needed time, too. Tonight, I went through the photo albums that Caroline had made for Phoebe. I saw their lives play out in front of me, how they were together and then apart, and yet always in the background of each other's lives. They wasted so much time not telling each other how they really felt."

"They grew up in a time where it was harder to be honest."

"I don't even think it was just that. They couldn't be honest with themselves…at least, Caroline couldn't. I'm not as sure about Phoebe. She never married anyone. When she'd travel, she'd sometimes come back and mention something about a lover, but when I think about it, she never said man or woman." She paused. "I just hope they really had a chance to talk to each other before they died. As soon as I closed that album, I knew I had to tell you how I felt about you, no matter what your response might be. I had to try. I don't want to have regrets at the end of my life."

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