Page 110 of The Spring in My Heart

My gaze holds his. “Phase us out.”

“That wouldn’t be easy. What would you have done if that was my attitude?”

I look him straight in the eye. “I would’ve let you go.”

“Just like that?” he asks.

“I couldn’t deal with the down-low thing anymore. I think we are so much more than that.”

He nods. “We are. It was never a down-low thing. I was scared because I’ve been living with this hole in my heart. It’s where I carry my pain and my fear, and you filled it with everything about you, and like the light that you are, you drove away the darkness.”

My mouth goes slack, and I don’t know what to say to him.

He takes my hand in his. “I lied. I don’t just like you. I’ve never felt something this deep for someone. Lux, I love you.”

My pulse races, and I’m a little lightheaded. My heart is beating against my chest, and I’m in shock. It’s only me, him, his words. His I love you.

I take his face in my hands and kiss his lips with all my energy, my heart, all the things I feel.

We pull away smiling.

“Ollie, I…”

Ayla’s steps ring down the stairs.

I begin to scoot away, but he tugs at my hand, stopping me. Our bodies are not touching, but we’re close enough.

The second she steps back in the room, Ayla’s gaze goes to our interlocked hands. Her smile loses the megawatt energy that makes it so much like his.

My skin burns, and I try to extract my hand from Ollie’s as gently as I can, but he holds onto it. His fingers intertwine with mine.

“You’re already done talking to Bron? That’s got to be a record.” His voice is affable as always, but the nerves that he can’t hide, no matter how hard he tries, edge themselves to it.

I’m glad I’m not the only one.

Ayla shrugs, her gaze on our interlaced hands. “I didn’t want to be rude.” She looks back at my face for the first time. “Your house is really beautiful.”

“It’s all your dad’s work.” My voice comes out like a loud whisper.

She goes to sit in the chair across from us, and for the first time, I’m uncomfortable around her. I never expected it to be weird between us. Maybe the handholding is too much, but Ollie is not budging.

“Would you like something to drink?” I ask. The silence is killing me.

She nods. “May I have some water?”

“I’ll get it.” Ollie lets go of my hand and stands.

Oh no.

He smiles at me, and I get what he’s doing.

He wants us to be able to swim out of this awkwardness.

“Are you okay, Lux?” Ayla asks.

I should ask her the same thing or maybe put her mind at ease. Instead, I decide to go with the truth. “I guess I’m not doing a good job of hiding how nervous I am right now.”

She blinks a few times. “You are? Why?”

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