Page 151 of Nothing Like the Movies

“Because I never stopped loving you, either,” she said, and I needed to cut her off and force her to repeat that sentence.A hundred times, and then a thousand more.

I never stopped loving you.

She made a little laugh sound in the back of her throat and said, “Although technically, for the record, it probably started the day you fixed my bloody nose with your shirt, not prom night, but we can figure that out later.”

That was it; I couldn’t stay silent another second.

Liz was here, Liz was mine, and one second more was one second too many.

My pulse was hammering, pounding in my ears as I said, “That’s total bullshit and you know it.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

“No measure of time with you will be long enough. But, let’s start with forever.”

—Breaking Dawn: Part 1

Liz

“Oh my God!”

I gasped and turned around, covering my heart with my hands, and there was Wes.

Instead of lying on the bed behind the curtain, he was standingbehindme in the doorway of the exam room. His hair was a mess, he was clutching his ribs with his left hand, and Wes Bennett was wearing a baby-blue hospital gown with bright yellow grippy socks on his feet.

I didn’t want to cry again, but seeing him upright, looking so beautifully ridiculous, made me feel like bawling all over again.

Thank you, God.

I pointed to the curtain and stupidly said, “I thought you were in there.”

He slid the door closed behind him, his mouth a hard line ashe looked at me and said, “I went down the hall, and when I came back to my room, there you were.”

His face was impossible to read. He didn’t lookmad, but he didn’t look happy, either. Which was scary because I’d just bared my soul to him. My heart was pounding, my hands were shaking, and my face was on fire as I wondered what he was thinking. I said, “So you heard, um, what I—”

“I heard everything,” he said, his jaw flexing. “And I call bullshit.”

“What?” I’d been so desperate to tell him I loved him that I hadn’t considered he might not believe me. “Which part are you calling bullshit?”

“Well, come here first,” he said, his voice kind of growly. “Because I’m going to die if I don’t touch you soon.”

I crossed the room in a second, basically running to him on shaky legs as hot brown eyes burned me with their attention.God, I love him.When I stopped in front of him, tilting my head back to look up at him, butterflies went wild in my stomach.

“The dates are total BS, Buxbaum,” he said, putting his big hands on my waist and turning us, maneuvering me so my back was suddenly pressed against the closed door. “It wasn’t promorthe Mrs. Potato Head night.”

“No?” I said, my heart going soft as those dark eyes went playful. Every bit of worry melted away as he looked down at me like he wanted to laugh.

“Oh, hell no.” He grinned, his mouth in that wide, unapologetic smile that felt like home. His voice was low and rumbly,sointimate, as he said, “You fell for me in third grade, the day you punched me in the face. Admit it.”

“The day you told everyone at recess that I had unicorns on my underpants?” I set my palms on his chest, careful to stay above where he’d been hit, and said, “Hardly. I hated you that day.”

“I awoke thepassionin you that day,” he teased, wrapping his long fingers around my wrists. “The thin line between love and hate.”

“Is that what that was?” I asked, my smile melting away as he gave me a scorching look.

“That’s what it’s always been,” he said, and then he lowered his mouth.

Dear God, I thought, my knees weak as his lips sipped at mine, his eyes open. Teasing nips, tracing licks—Wes Bennett had been born knowing what he was doing, I swear to God. I watched him, my entire body shaking as his mouth played, and then my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer.

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