Page 126 of Someday You Learn

My eyes begin to well with tears. “Parker…”

He takes a deep breath and releases me. “So, to show you how much you inspire me, to prove that what you are doing in our small town does make a difference, I painted something for you.”

My mouth falls open. “You…you what?”

He moves to the sheet covering the canvas and removes it, revealing a picture that I can’t help but turn my head to the side to admire.

“You…you painted the clouds.”

“I did.” He reaches for my hand and takes me closer to the canvas. “I know it’s really simple, but I thought I couldn’t possibly fuck it up.”

I giggle. “It’s actually quite beautiful,” I say, admiring the small flecks of yellow and pink he added to the sky.

“It reminded me of the sunrise I saw from the sky on the morning I returned from Philadelphia all those months ago.”

His confession renders me speechless. “What?”

“That morning as I sat on the plane back to Raleigh, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, wishing you hadn’t run away, wishing I had the courage in that moment to stop you.” He glances at his painting and then back to me. “You changed my life that weekend, Cashlynn, and even though I wonder what would have happened if I had acted differently that night, I can’t regret where it put us now.”

His face glistens behind my tears. “I don’t regret it either.”

He holds my face in his hands again. “I’m so damn proud of you—for leaving your life in Philly, for coming back here to chase after what you wanted, and as much as I hated it in the moment, I’m so damn grateful that you made me be your fake fiancé, because I can’t imagine my life without you.”

I don’t even have words to respond, so I lunge for him, smashing my lips to his. Parker consumes me, holding me to his strong chest, swirling his tongue with mine. “I love you,” I whisper breathlessly when we part, our foreheads resting against one another.

“I love you too, baby.”

After a moment of silence, I ask, “So… What is the chocolate for?”

He leans back with a mischievous grin on his face. “That’s for us to make our own art together.”

“Is that why there’s a tarp down?”

“Uh, yeah. You know I love you, but I still can’t fucking stand messes.”

Laughing, I reach for his painting and place it off to the side so it doesn’t get ruined. “I guess we can figure that out later, but I don’t want this to get ruined in the process.”

“Are you gonna sell it?” he asks. “I actually don’t think it’s half bad.”

Spinning to face him, I say, “Never. This one gets added to my personal collection.”

With his hand outstretched, he commands me toward him again. “I like that idea.”

“Me too.”

“But you know what sounds better?”

I close the distance between us and wrap my arms around his neck. “What?”

“Me slathering you in chocolate and then licking you clean.”

I moan. “Yeah, I like the sound of that too.”

Chapter twenty-six

Parker

Six Months Later

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