Page 52 of The Probability of Us

“And summer’s nothing without her sun,” he finishes for me, eyes growing wide, like he never realized what I was saying back then.

“Exactly.” I place my hands on his cheeks. “You’re my sun, Warren.You.And only you. Summer’s nothing without her sun, just as I’m nothing without you. You are who completes me. You are the sunlight I want to bathe in forever. You are all I need. Yours are the only hands I want on my body, the only shirts I want to steal.” That brings a genuine laugh out of him and a smile back to his face. “You are the only person I want to give my love to. So please, don’t run from it this time.”

“I won’t run.” He kisses me and our bodies sigh in unison at how right it feels.

“But if thinking of me as yours is going to result in what happened on that stool,” I mumble between kisses. “Then please never stop thinking it.”

He chuckles against my lips and his entire body rumbles against mine with the movement, reminding me that we’re both completely naked aside from his shirt that’s halfway off my body. I gasp when his hands move down to my legs and lift me up, backing us up until I’m on the stool again.

“Whatever the lady wants, she shall get.”

His lips stay locked on mine this time, but it still feels just as raw as before. Like a bridge between our souls was formed and is only growing stronger the longer we stay connected in this way. This time, the words on my lips are a prayer, a wish, my deepest desire.

“I want this. I want you, forever.”

* * *

I squeal when we walk into the house and run over to Sterling and Will immediately. Throwing my arms around both of them I practically sing, “How’s my favorite couple on this extra special day? I can’t believe we’re celebrating the engagement of Mr. Raymond Sterling Holmes and Mr. William Hernandez!”

“Hey,” Ali says, pretending to be offended by my comment, but we both are obsessed with Sterling and Will’s relationship.

“Where’s Trent?” I ask, looking around and not finding him.

Ali frowns. “He went grab us drinks as soon as you guys walked in.”

I cringe. “He does know I’m not going to yell at him again, right?”

“Please don’t,” Sterling says just as Will says, “Please do.”

We all look over at him and he shrugs. “I’m sad I missed it and no one recorded it.”

I laugh and step back so Warren can be more included in the circle. He smiles at Sterling. “Congrats, man. I’m happy for you.”

“Oh, you haven’t met Will yet,” I say. “Will, this is Warren. Warren, Will.”

“It’s great to finally meet you,” Warren says, reaching out his hand. “I’ve only heard good things from this one.” He nods at me, and I smile.

But Will’s face is tight, his eyes are dark and angry. He turns to me. “You brought him here? After everything he did?”

The color drains from my face.Uh, oh.Sometimes I forget that Will wasn’t around back when Warren was here. That the only things he knows about him is how much he hurt me. That he doesn’t have a previous friendship and personal memories to fall back on.

Everyone is silent and tense when Trent gets back and he looks around. “What did I miss?”

Warren’s face has fallen back into the vulnerable, devastated state I talked him out of earlier today and Will’s constant glaring isn’t helping.

“We’re going to grab drinks.” I grab his hand, needing to get him away from this to make sure he’s okay, and pull him to the bar set-up in the backyard.

“Don’t listen to him,” I say, finding a quiet spot in the yard to talk. “He didn’t know you before. All he had to go off of were the times I cried over you when I had too much to drink.”

He looks like I just punched him in the chest but then his eyes narrow. “Wait, didn’t Sterling only meet Will two years ago?”

I cringe. “This may have happened as recently as last weekend . . .”

“Analise—”

“No.” I turn his face back towards me when he starts to look away. “Look at me, Warren. We talked about this already.”

“I know,” he says, sounding defeated. “But I keep learning more and more about just how bad I hurt you. It’s killing me.”

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