Page 195 of Rules of Association

“Put it away, Ceci, we don’t need it anymore.”

“Why?”

I scoffed. Taking the phone she still had extended between us, I pocketed it.

She had needed her time to get out all she’d pent up over the past months. She had needed to explain her side of it—where she was coming from, and how she was feeling. I got that. But I didn’t need the same. I was done beating around the bush. It was time to make thisveryclear.

Looking at her again I huffed. “Do you think I need three minutes to tell you how I feel about you?”

“I dunno,” she said, eyes tracking the way I was stepping toward her. “It worked for me.”

I shook my head. “I don’t need three minutes to say three words, Celestia.I love you.”

She blinked, looking stricken. Even after that whole speech of hers, she looked shocked by the candidness of my words. I continued to step toward her.

“You want another three words?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “You’re my person—no, not my ‘best friend person’,justmy person.”

She swallowed noticeably, her eyebrows bunching like this was hard for her to believe. I continued, my assault different from her verbal punching, but just as hard. All the words I’d failed to say to her for way too long falling like a waterfall from my lips.

Settling in front of her I put hands on her hips and pulled her into me, my voice lowering. “Another three?Be with me.Another?Stay with me.”

Small, cold hands came up to touch my face. The touch was like water in a drought. Even just her fingertips on my skin shook me. I had missed her too. Just because I loved her as more than a friend, didn’t change that she was my best one. And having to stay away was probably the hardest thing I’d ever done. Now that I was back, I couldn’t help but lean into her touch.

She pulled my face toward her, moving up to her toes to reach me. She only made it to my chin, her head nuzzling into the crook of my neck. I slid my arms around her, my heart seizing at the innocent acceptance she was showing me. My voice went down to a whisper and my previous strength faltered in the absence of her reply.

She hadn’t said anything yet, and I guess I understood where she was coming from before. Still, I needed her to say something, validate this limb I was jumping out on.

“Another?” My voice broke as I pleaded, “Love me back…Please?”

“That was four words, Connor,” she said, mock scolding.The brat. “Counting is kindergarten stuff, c’mon.”

I laughed, and then I groaned. “Ceci. Please, baby.”

Pulling back just slightly, I caught the devious little smirk on her face before she inclined her head and pressed the sweetest, softest kiss to my lips. Then she opened those flaming eyes on me and said, with all her Ceci surety, “I love you too. I just wanted to hear you say it a few times.”

Hearing those words was like light spilling into my soul. Like my world, and my future, shifting into its rightful place. I smiled, bringing my face close to hers, my lips hovering over her lips. “How long were you going to let me go on before you said something, you little shit?”

She chuckled and I could feel it from her body to her breath. I loved every second of that laugh. And I couldn’t help my own when she said, “As long as I could swing it.”

And then she was mine. Really mine this time. Kissing me, holding me, laughing with me as this surreal but somehow inevitable puzzle piece popped into place. She’d always been my girl, but now with our future bright in front of us, she was my whole world.

I could have stood there in the middle of someone else’s garden and held her for hours. Kissed her for just as long, but the noise of a cheering audience broke us away. I thought we’d moved far enough away from the doors for some privacy from our family. But like the nosey asses they were, they had all spilled out into the garden, hiding behind large plants or urns as they spied on us.

My groan mixed with a laugh, my face burying into Ceci’s neck as I did, embarrassed. “Must you have an audience all the time?”

She pulled back and waggled her eyebrows at me.

“Were you planning on taking this much further in afamily household,Connor? I’m learning so much about you—” I nipped her lip, and she smiled.

“I take it you’re no less of a smartass as a girlfriend, then?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“More,” she whispered conspiratorially.

I hummed. “I guess I can handle that.However, we really need to work on your apology skills. Becausethatwas deplorable.”

She laughed, “That wasn’t my apology. I organized this whole grand gesture and I still want to go through with it.”

“You don’t think launching apples at your sister was grand enough?” I asked in a disbelieving whisper, flicking my eyes up past her at the victim herself. Ceci’s shoulders shook with her laughter, and I smiled, my lips falling to her temple. “Seriously, I leave you alone for a second and—”

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