Page 103 of In Good Company

I nod, feeling like a teenager again, afraid of a father on the other side of the house. I take a step closer to a wall of photos. It showcases photos of Lucy at different ages, making me smile. I point to one of a five- or six-year-old Lucy in a full chef’s costume. “So you knew you wanted to cook from a young age?” I ask.

She nods as her attention shifts to the photo as well. “You could say that.”

I continue to look at the photos as she takes a step closer tome, closing the distance between us. Her arms wrap around my middle.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she says against my chest.

My hands travel down her back and rest at the small of her waist. I keep her body close to mine, reveling in the feeling of holding her once again. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I tell her honestly.

Her chin presses into my chest as she angles her head up to look at me. “So, quick question. Where’s your phone?”

I cock my head to the side. One hand leaves her waist to grab my phone from my pocket. I tap the screen, but nothing happens. “It must be out of battery. Why?”

She chews her lip as her brown eyes search mine. “When you plug that in, don’t be alarmed by the amount of missed calls from me.”

I smile, my heart warming at the knowledge she finally called me. “Really?” I’ve been attached to my phone for two weeks without her. I checked it way more than I should’ve, just hoping she’d call. It figures when she finally did call, I missed them.

Lucy nods, her teeth still digging into her bottom lip. “Yeah. I called you…a lot. There was just something I really needed to tell you.”

Something about the look in her eyes makes hope bloom in my chest. We just spent two hours discussing a plan with her family where Lucy got what she wanted but felt that her parents were taken care of as well. She made it clear she wanted me in her plans for the future, but the more validation I got from her that she’s ready to tackle anything life throws at us together, the better.

“What did you need to tell me?” I ask, my words coming out low and raspy. My heart lurches in excitement at the smile spreading across her lips.

Lucy runs her hands along my chest. I love feeling the press of her touch against me again, even if there is a layer of fabric between us. I feel like I barely breathe as I wait for her next words.

Her brown eyes find mine. “I love you, Callahan Hastings,” she says, her voice strong. Her smile gets even wider as she moves her hands to cup my cheeks. “I love you so much that these last two weeks have been torture without you. I don’t know what I was thinking, and I’m sorry for hurting you and pushing you away, but I love you.”

I smile at her words, closing my eyes for a moment as I let them sink in. Happiness radiates through my entire body at finally hearing her confess her love. I let out a happy sigh as my hands find her face. I press my forehead against hers as we both hold each other’s faces. “You have no idea how much I’ve been dying to hear you say that.”

“I love you,” she repeats.

The last two weeks have been pure hell. I didn’t know it was possible to think about another person so much, but it seemed like my mind was full of nothing but her. There were mornings I woke up and feared I’d never get to hold her again. I didn’t know if I’d ever get to tell her how much I loved her again, and I didn’t even let my heart hope to hear her tell me the same.

But she’s here in my arms.

She loves me.

And nothing else matters in this world.

“I love you too,” I tell her, my grip on her face tightening. I look into her eyes, hoping she can see the love I have for her written all over my face. “I love you so fucking much, Lucy Rae. My love for you is the kind that only comes once in a lifetime. I’ve been so lost without you.”

She nods. “I know. Jude told me. I’m so sorry to have put you through that. I think I just needed?—”

My head pulls back. “Jude told you?”

She gives me a hesitant smile, as if she doesn’t know if she was supposed to tell me that or not. “Yes. He was with Charlotte when she called me. It was actually them who finally made me see reason and realize I needed to call you and tell you how I felt.”

“I’m so happy they did,” I note, feeling immensely grateful for the two of them. Who knows how things would’ve turned out if she hadn’t talked to them and decided that she wanted to make things work with us? Me showing up at her house unannounced and making a plan with her parents before she even got home could’ve gone very differently if she was still thinking I was more of a distraction than someone she wanted to spend her life with.

Lucy lifts to her tiptoes and presses a kiss against my lips. It starts out timid, but I end that quickly. We may have spent the last couple of hours together, but I haven’t had the chance to kiss her yet. We were busy making plans with her parents about the next steps.

Now that her lips are against mine, I need more. I slowly slip my tongue into her mouth, waiting to see if she’ll allow it.

I fight a smile when she immediately opens for me. Her hands move from my face as they slide down my arms and then find my chest. She grabs the fabric of my shirt and pulls my body flush to hers.

I don’t know how long we stand there in her childhood bedroom making out. Time seems to stand still as we both get lost in the moment. Our hands in each other’s hair, on the other’s body, pulling at clothes. Neither one of us can get enough.

“I have a confession,” I tell her, breaking the kiss for a moment.

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