Page 84 of The Serendipity

“Were you nervous then?” I force myself to sound like a normal human and not a homicidal maniac stifling the desire to stab all of Archer’s exes.

“No.”

“Okay,” I say slowly. “What makes this different? Or why are you nervous now?”

“Because before, I knew their parents wanted to meet me because they thought I could give them something. Money, clout, social standing.”

“Well, that’s plain horrible.”

“Yes.” He pauses, and I can hear the hesitation in his voice.

“But?”

“At least in that context, I know what to expect. I have something to offer. With your parents …” He shrugs. “I don’t know how to impress them.”

I reach over and squeeze his hand, turning to face him as I stop at a red light. “It’s not about impressing them.”

When his gray-blue eyes meet mine, they’re stormier than usual, with a vulnerability that makes me ache. “I want them to approve. I want them tolikeme. I don’t know how to make them do that.”

“You don’t need tomakethem like you. You don’t need to makeanyonelike you. It’s not something you can force. Just be yourself, and I promise, they’ll see you and like you. My parents already like you because I’ve told them so much.”

Maybetoomuch. I think they’re honestly equal parts excited and scared. They’re thrilled because I sound happy, and it’s been so long since I’ve talked to them about any guy. If Mom and Dad are a little hesitant, it’s because of howmuchI had to say and how quickly things have been moving.

“You don’t think this is all progressing a little fast?” Mom had asked, her voice hesitant.

Honestly, no. I can’t put it into words yet, but with Archer, I want to jam my foot on the gas. I’m ready to end the test drive and take this puppy out on the Autobahn, full speed.

Sure, there are a few things to work out. Like … the fact that I haven’t told him about my agoraphobia. Or the way I’m hoping against hope he never brings up the night we met and how I got into his apartment.

I also don’t know if his long-term plans involve me. Or going back to New York, which would obviously pose a problem for me.

Then there’s the little matter of his sweeping changes to The Serendipity and how Archer has basically served me an eviction notice.

So, yeah—we’ve still got some things to discuss.

See, Mom? We’re not movingthatfast.

“What if you’ve given them expectations that are too high?” Archer asks. “What if they’re disappointed?”

He looks so miserable, I want to cup his face in my hands and kiss him until he’s too distracted to worry. Too bad I’m driving. Or maybe it’s a good thing, as otherwise, we’d be very late.

“They’ll love you, boss.”

“But how do youknow?”

“I just know.” My voice is fierce. “I know they’ll love you becauseI?—”

The word cuts off, lodged in my throat as I realize what I almost said.

Love. I almost said love.

I’m sure it almost slipped out because I just saidlovewhen talking about my parents liking him. Love, as in I love cold pizza for breakfast and the very first sip of coffee in the morning.

Even if I had saidI love you, it wouldn’t have beenthatkind of love. The big one.

I mean, IlikeArcher. I don’tlovehim. It’s way too early for that. Isn’t it?

“They’ll like you becauseIlike you,” I say quickly, trying to distract myself from a little too much self-reflection. “And because you are a wonderful man. All they want for me is someone kind and good. You are both those things.”

---