Page 83 of Still The One

‘We need to try it again,’ she says, determination in her voice.

I take a few tentative steps toward her, my heart racing in anticipation of what she might say next.

‘Try what?’

‘The bar was too distracting and I wasn’t prepared for you to kiss me,’ she explains.

‘You want to kiss again?’ I ask, surprised by her request.

But then again, every kiss with Eve is amazing. Even that small one at the bar told me everything I needed to know – she’s never left my heart.

‘I need to know what I felt, Foster. You owe me at least that,’ she says, almost as if she’s willing to fight for what she wants.

A smile tugs at the corners of my lips as I realize Eve isn’t pushing me away. She’s holding onto something, just like I’ve been clinging to my feelings for her. It’s a dance we’ve both known the steps to but have been too scared to fully commit to.

I close the distance between us, my hand reaching out to gently tilt her chin up so our eyes meet. ‘I owe you more than just that, Eve,’ I say softly, feeling the weight of all our past mistakes and regrets slowly lifting off my chest.

Without waiting for her response, I lean in and press my lips against hers. It’s different this time, there’s an urgency, a longing that we’ve both bottled up for far too long. The kiss deepens, sparking a fire within me that I thought had been extinguished after she left.

Eve’s arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer in a silent plea for more. I respond eagerly, tasting the sweetness of her lips and feeling the warmth of her body pressed against mine. Every fiber of my being sings with joy at this reunion, as if the universe itself has conspired to bring us back together.

When we finally break apart, our breaths mingling in the space between us, Eve looks up at me with a mixture of surprise and wonder in her eyes. I can see the questions swirling in her mind, the ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ that have haunted us for so long.

‘Shit,’ she says, the word surprising me.

I bite my bottom lip. ‘Is that a “holy shit!” or an “oh shit”?’

‘Both?’ She’s standing in front of me, a hand resting on her chest. ‘Wow, seriously,’ she says through a laugh. ‘You’re the only one who’s ever kissed me like that.’

‘Well, that’s because you’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like this,’ I confess, my gaze locked with hers, hoping she can see the sincerity in my eyes.

Eve’s lips curl into a soft smile, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. ‘I… I missed this,’ she admits, her voice barely above a whisper.

‘I missedyou,’ I reply.

‘You felt something then?’

I laugh. ‘Oh, Evie girl. Yes. I felt something from the moment I met you and as we stand now, five years later, it’s only stronger than it ever was.’

She sighs in what seems like relief, dropping her shoulders and walking to her couch. I follow.

‘We still have all the same life details against us, though.’

I nod, sitting on the coffee table in front of her. ‘Yeah, that we do.’

‘Gen says people make long-distance relationships work all the time.’

‘She’s probably right, I don’t really know.’

‘Do you think we could do it? I mean… if we decided to try it?’

I take a moment to consider her question, letting the weight of her words sink in. The idea of a long-distance relationship with Eve fills me with both excitement and trepidation. We’ve both been hurt before – by each other – so the thought of risking it all over again is daunting because I doubt we’d make it through another break-up. But as I gaze into her eyes, filled with hope and vulnerability, I know that I can’t let this opportunity slip away.

‘I think we can do anything we set our minds to,’ I say, reaching out to gently take her hand in mine.

She thinks about that, staring down at our hands. ‘Can we leave the door open until we see how soon you get to go home?’

‘Evie girl, I’ll leave the door open for you until eternity fizzles out.’

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