Page 47 of Count On Me

Shit!

Before I can do anything, she’s standing in front of me, hands on her hips, eyebrow raised and looking sexy as fucking sin. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun, her face bare of makeup, freckles twinkling at me as she scrunches her face in frustration. She takes her jacket off and reveals the little white t-shirt with Heath Hampstead’s logo on the breast, and I know when she turns around, my name and number will be emblazoned across her back. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, drawing my attention to where she’s tapping her white sneaker on thefloor, her grey tracksuit rolled up her legs a little. Even casual she makes my dick hard.

“Are you not going to speak?” she asks me, and I stand frozen behind the kitchen island, not wanting her to see my body's reaction to her.

“Well, I’m not standing here having this conversation with you whilst you’re half naked. And seeing as you’re doing your best statue imitation, I’ll grab your clothes for you, shall I?” She spins on her heel and heads into my bedroom.

And I remember the picture. The one she doesn’t know I took. The one that sits proudly on my bedside table so I can go to sleep next to her and wake up next to her. She’s never been inside my bedroom, not since she decorated it. I quickly drop the mug and eggs on the countertop and rush in behind her, but I’m too late. She’s sitting on the bed, clutching the frame in her hands.

“Edie, I…”

“When did you take this?” she asks, never taking her eyes off the photo.

“When I first came over here. Remember when I surprised you? I walked into your mom’s house and saw you there. You looked so natural, so happy. And I had to capture it.”

I take a few steps closer to the bed and she finally looks up at me. “Why do you have it in here, Jaxson? Why next to your bed?” I can’t handle the defiance dancing in her eyes, so I look away from her and shrug. “You want me to count on you?” I nod. “Then start telling the truth, Jaxson.”

Her voice is resolute, stern, and my eyes snap back to hers. Something about her tone tells me this is it. The moment of truth. If I want to keep her in my life, I have to trust her with it.

“I like falling asleep next to you. Waking up and seeing you as soon as I open my eyes,” I mumble, and watch as a smile tugs at her lips.

“What about when you have other girls stay over? Do I get shoved in the drawer then?”

“No! I’ve never brought a girl back here. I always went to hotels. And even that’s been a fucking while. You’re the only woman who’s ever been in here, Edie. Hawaii.” I watch her smile grow and I smile back at her.

“I got your voicemail last night.” She grins as I stare at her blankly. But as the memories flood back to me, I bring my hands up to cover my face.

I sit on the mattress next to her and groan loudly. “Shit, Eddie. Edie. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

“About what you said or about how you said it?”

“Does it matter?” Sweat is dripping down my back as I try to divert her away from my words last night. Fuck. I told her I loved her tits. I do, but fuck.

“Of course it fucking matters, you idiot,” she shouts, her voice laced with emotion. It breaks my heart to hear her uncertain and worried, and I know only I can make it right.

“About how I said it. I should have declared my feelings for you in the most romantic way in the world, not over a drunken voicemail.”

“Whatareyour feelings about me? I know how you feel about my tits and arse, but not about me.” Her chuckle can’t mask her unease. I can hear the worry in her voice. This is it. Make or break time. I need to tell her how I feel now and worry about the consequences after.

“I love you, Edie. I always have. Two years ago I almost kissed you, and the only thing I regret is that it was an ‘almost’ kiss. I wanted to taste your lips. I wanted to kiss you and never stop. But I couldn’t. I needed to concentrate on my career. And I knew if I took our relationship to the next level, the level it’s supposed to be on, I wouldn’t be able to dedicate myself to you like I wanted and you deserved. I needed you too much to riskour friendship, so I held back. I was selfish. I kept you close, but never too close, even though I ached to have you in my arms. I’ve made so many mistakes, Edie, but I’ve always seen you. I’ve always known you were there. Not eight-year-old Eddie, but Edie, My Eddie. I’m sorry, but I love you.”

She doesn’t say anything. She looks at the picture once more, places it back on the table, and stands up. This is it. This is where she walks out on me.

I lower my head in defeat, too sad to watch her leave. Except, she doesn’t. She stands in front of me. Places her thumb under my chin and tilts my head up. She dips down, brings her face within inches of mine, says, “I love you too, Jaxson. Hawaii,” and places her lips on mine.

Everything grinds to a halt. The only thing I know is Edie. Her scent infiltrates my senses and I wrap my arms around her tightly and pull her onto my lap. I crush her to my body, not wanting to let her go, ever. This is where I should’ve been my whole life. What I should’ve been doing. She’s my destiny. My dreams. My future. She’s mine.

I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and she moans against my lips, grinding down on my erection as she straddles me. I pull away from her and grin. “Damn, Eddie. If I'd known you kissed like that, I’d have done this sooner.”

“Well, if you hadn’t been a major douche for most of our lives, we could’ve been doing that. And more…” She bites down on her lip and runs her nails up and down my bare back.

Her touch is igniting the fire in my belly as my dick stands up straighter than ever. “We don’t have to rush into anything, Edie. I know you haven’t, and I don’t mind waiting.”

“Screw that. I’ve waited long enough.” She crashes her mouth against mine and consumes me with her kiss. Her tongue darts out and dances with mine. One taste of her has me feral, kissing her without any grace, until we both have to part for air.

29

EDIE

---