Page 37 of Worth the Wait

“I guess you wouldn’t,” I said, my tone sort of sad.

I wondered if Sarina would appreciate Sugar Mountain the same way that I did, but one look at her told me that there was no way. She was a Manhattan girl now, through and through. Even her makeup screamed that she was from a different life from the one we lived here. It was loud, too perfect, and looked expensive.

We took the flight stairs out of the plane and headed toward our luggage that sat on the small carrier, where it was being unloaded. Sarina’s designer suitcase stood out from all the others. I grabbed my little, beat-up carry-on that I’d brought as she lugged at hers, clearly struggling to remove it.

“Why’d you bring so much stuff?” I asked my little sister as I compared the size differences between our things.

“It’s the jackets and sweaters. They take up a lot of space,” she explained, and I nodded my head in understanding.

I hadn’t packed any of that stuff for that reason exactly. And I knew that half of my clothes were still sitting in my closet at home, waiting for me, so there was no reason for me to overpack.

When I shielded my eyes with my hand to block out the blinding sun, I almost stopped dead in my tracks.

“Please tell me every guy in this town looks like that one.” Sarina pointed to the exact place I was currently staring.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came.

I’d told him not to come. I’d told him we arranged a ride already. I should have known that he wouldn’t listen.

“Hello?” Sarina waved a hand in front of my face. “Earth to Addison.”

“Patrick,” I breathed out, and Sarina whistled.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Let’s go meet this prince of yours,” she said as she started hustling toward him, her suitcase rolling easily behind her as mine wobbled, clearly on its last legs.

“Wait,” I shouted, but only a breathless whisper came out.

Sarina was already steps ahead of me, walking faster than I’d ever seen, heading toward the only boy I’d ever loved.

He looked so beautiful. Even from a distance, I could see that his dark hair was longer, and his face was filled with scruff that I didn’t recognize, but wanted to familiarize myself with. I imagined running my fingers across it just to feel the prick and burn. I’d always thought that Patrick was a man when I left town, but I’d been wrong. He was all man now. And handsome as hell.

When I neared, I heard Sarina chatting his ear off, and Patrick had a smirk on his face that told me she amused him. The second he saw me, he stepped away from my sister, who was still talking, and moved toward me like there was a rope pulling him. Before I could take another breath, I was in his arms, collapsing into his chest as he held me and kissed the top of my head.

It had been too long since I’d been here.

Too long since I’d been touched by him.

And even longer since I’d breathed in his scent.

My senses were overwhelmed by all the things that made up Patrick O’Grady. I thought I might short-circuit.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, his words hot against my scalp.

I hadn’t expected any of this. Him here, picking us up. Him eliminating the space between us like I hadn’t been gone for almost four years. Him confessing feelings within seconds of seeing me.

But if he had acted any other way, it would have been just that…an act. I would have seen through it and known he was only doing it out of self-preservation, which I would have understood, but still hated—even if I deserved it.

“I thought I told you we had a ride,” I tried to joke, but it came out flimsy as he pulled away, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

Those eyes could bring any woman to her knees. I was surprised mine still held me up.

“You had to know I’d come,” was all he said in response.

I wasn’t sure what I’d thought would happen, but he was right; I should have known. Things between Patrick and me had always been this way. We’d never been cruel, or mean, or intentionally unkind to one another. Had we hurt each other since I’d been gone? Yes. But it was only because we loved each other so much that the simple act of not being together was pain in and of itself.

Sarina cleared her throat, and for a moment, I’d forgotten that anyone else in the world even existed.

“I see you met my sister.” I smiled as Patrick grinned.

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