Page 124 of The Show

I squeezed my eyes shut, but my hallucination was still there… and now she was making her way toward me.

Fuck, I wanted to see Lowe. I wanted to hear her voice.

I wasn’t sure how well a middle of the night call would be received, but I was going to risk it.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I mumbled, but then the ringing on my end was met with a muted ringtone sounding from across the pool deck, right where my hallucination was walking toward me.

I frowned as she pulled a phone from her pocket and answered it. “Hi there, Mr. Michaelson.”

I didn’t reply because my cell had slipped through my fingers and clattered to the floor.

I stared hard, then rubbed my eyes. When I opened them again, she was standing right in front of me.

“Lowe?”

“Hi.” Her warm hand cupped my cheek. As far as I knew, hallucinations didn’t have temperatures.

“Is this really you?” My voice broke. “You’re really here?”

She smiled, her perfect, beautiful smile. “I really am.”

The sob I’d been holding onto all day, burst forth. “How?”

“I took my dad’s plane. I arrived here about thirty minutes ago. Penn, I’m so sorry.” Her thumb swiped across my damp cheek. “I am so, so sorry for making such a mess of today, and a mess of yesterday. Just a mess generally.”

“Lowe…” I croaked.

“No, let me continue, please.” She held her finger over my lips. “The truth is, I freaked out. I freaked out because I realized I love you. I love you, Penn Shepherd, and I think I wanted to have some time to come to terms with it before anyone knew; to have you to myself before I told my mom and she scared you off forever. But I should have said something this morning when you were there, and I’m so sorry I didn’t. So I guess I came here to tell you that, and beg your forgiveness.”

My heart was beating so hard and loud I wasn’t sure I caught all of that. It was so loud in fact, I was certain she’d be able to hear it. She’d definitely be able to feel it when I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into me.

“You love me?”

She smiled, her eyes never leaving mine. “I do.”

From the way my breath gave out, I’d clearly been holding it. Like I’d been waiting my entire life for her to say that to me, because I had. And up until eleven days ago, it seemed like an impossible dream.

“Can you say it again?” I whispered.

“I love you.”

I swallowed away the lump swelling in my throat; I had my own things to say.

“When I walked down here, when I was driving here, hell, even when I was flying out of New York,Iwas freaking out that I’d messed everything up; that I’d pushed you into something you didn’t want. I’ve been so overwhelmed with finally having everything I ever wanted that I never stopped to think about how you were feeling. I’m sorry too, I’m so sorry. Lowe, you’re not the one who needs to beg forgiveness, I am, and if you’ll grant it to me, then I promise we can take things as slowly as you’d like. And I’ll stay a secret until you’re ready to tell your mom.”

Her eyes glistened, twinkling more as her face creased with a smile. “I told her already. I’ve told her everything; about me, about how I feel. About you, that I love you. I hope you’re prepared for the full force of Abigail Slater, now that her daughter has a boyfriend.”

My head fell back with loud laughter, the cracks in my chest healing perfectly with every roar I let out. “I think I can manage your mom, and you have nothing to worry about, because now I finally have you, I’m never ever going to leave you. I’ve waited my whole life for you.”

She stood on her tiptoes, her soft lips brushing against mine all too quickly. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I’m begging you to.” I took her mouth again; this time, my tongue roaming around, desperate to rediscover her since it’d last had the opportunity. But this time felt different. She tasted different. This time she tasted like forever. When I pulled back, her eyes were almost glowing with a fire I’d only felt in myself when I’d looked at her. She was so fucking beautiful, and she was finally,finallymine. The world had righted itself in the last five minutes.

“I didn’t think it was possible to love you more than I did, to be in love with you more than I’d been my entire life. I didn’t think it would feel different to love you and have you love me back.”

“I feel it too, and we have forever to get used to it. Because now we’ve told my mom, you know you’re going to have to marry me, right?” Her laugh echoed softly around us.

I sealed my answer with a kiss that continued until dawn.

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