Page 79 of Stuck with Mr. Grump

He’s standing behind me when I turn around, and there’s this intense look in his eyes that takes my breath away.

“I’m not going to ask you to wait for me,” he starts.

“Good, because I’m not going to.”

His eyes briefly flutter shut.

“I’m going to come back, angel,” he promises. “I don’t know when, but I will.”

You have to, I want to scream. Because I’m pregnant, Sterling.I’m pregnant with your baby.

But I can’t tell him that right now. Not when he’s already going through something so incredibly hard. One day, if he does come back, maybe I’ll tell him. But for now, he has to go and do his thing. And I’ll do my thing, too.

“Don’t call or text me,” I tell him instead of the truth. “Focus on Marissa. Focus on your family. All of them, your mother, your grandfather, and your brother. Don’t shy away from the hard conversations. At the end of the day, they’re all you have.”

“I’ll take that advice,” Sterling nods, “if you promise you will as well.”

I knew he was going to say that.

“Deal,” I say softly. “I’ll open up more. I can’t promise to let my guard down completely, but I also won’t act like I’m a burden to the people I know love me unconditionally anymore.”

“Atta girl,” he says proudly. Then he sobers up almost immediately. “I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to Carson since the fight. I’m not sure I’ll be able to see him before I leave.”

“He called to apologize to me this morning,” I tell him. “I’ll talk to him for you.”

“And say what on my behalf?” he questions.

I shrug. I have no idea.

He sighs. “Tell him I’m sorry. But also that he was wrong. He said we would never work, but I just think we needed more time.”

My chest tightens. Time. Is this really about time? Or is Carson right?

“He was wrong, Emilia. Look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing for me. Tell me none of it was real,” he prods.

My lips part. I want so badly to say the words, but they don’t leave my lips.

“That’s what I thought,” Sterling murmurs. He places a hand on my jaw. “If I kiss you, will you push me away?”

The air between us crackles with electricity. Heat rushes through my body, lighting me up in the most intense way. I lean into his palm, feeling my heart race with every beat of my heart.

“No, I won’t.”

“Just like that first time,” Sterling says, referring to our first kiss.

“Another one for the ages.”

When our lips meet, a sort of desperation fills me. Longing, angst. I realize just how stupid I’ve been all this time. Why did I spend so long pushing him away? Why didn’t I hold on?

The kiss is searing in the best way possible. Consuming. He tastes like whiskey and sin. I whimper when he bites down on my bottom lip, between his tongue slips into my mouth, deepening the kiss. His hand traces down the length of my body almost reverently. I hold onto him tight, because I never want to let go.

Eventually, we have to. We have to breathe, and we have to let go. I’m breathless when I pull away. Sterling’s eyes are so bright right now. He has no idea how special his eyes are to me.

“Be safe, okay,” I say softly, because there’s really nothing else to say.

He nods and I rise on my toes, placing my hands on his shoulders to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Bye, Sterling.”

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