Page 91 of Choosing Forever
“Where’d my sister run off to?” I ask.
“Why do you assume I know?”
“You two are never far apart anymore.”
Delaney huffs, keeping her body turned away from me as she stares into the field. “She was with Bryce before I came over here. I’m sure that’s where she is now.”
Frustration licks up my spine the longer she freezes me out.I’m a patient guy, but there’s something about Delaney that makes it damn near impossible to keep my pace slow. Especially after her attitude just five minutes ago. I’m desperate enough for her attention that receiving it has got my pulse tripping over itself and a desperate ache low in my stomach that refuses to settle.
With my hand still gripping the booth, I lean forward and drag the heel of my boot through the grass to settle between her legs. She doesn’t react outright. It’s subtle. A breath caught between her teeth and a slight shudder that forces her to lean back against my chest.
I give her a moment to slip herself free of my slack hold before dropping my other hand to the booth, trapping her with my body. Her jaw tightens and strains as she keeps staring in front of us, fighting what she couldn’t before.
“Are you mad at me, Elle?” I murmur, my chin dropped so the question hits the tip of her ear.
Our height difference is just as staggering as it was back then. If she leaned back completely, she’d feel the bite of what I’ve kept hidden beneath my shirt since the day I lost her.
“It’s Delaney.”
“For how much longer?”
Her arm shifts, and then she’s gripping my hand. If she meant to push it away from the booth, she’s changed her mind. Instead of shoving me, she grips me tighter, her nails pricking into my skin. Head tipping down, she swallows loudly. There’s a ghost of a touch over my fourth finger, where my wedding ring once sat.
“Forever,” she whispers.
“I’ll wait double that.”
I hold perfectly still when she starts twisting in my arms. Her lips are parted and the softest shade of pink when her head falls back and those green eyes flick upward. I lean into my grip on the booth to steady myself.
“Nobody would wait that long.”
“You underestimate me. There’s nothing I want more than you. Not a fucking thing.”
It’s out before I can chomp down on my tongue hard enough. It’s out and there for her to do as she wishes. There’s something suddenly fucking terrifying about that, given how my last loose-tongue confession went.
“Hey. Is the booth open?”
I grit my teeth at the sound of the very male voice. Slowly, I peel my gaze from Delaney long enough to glare at the guy standing in front of us. I half expect him to burst into flames when she ducks beneath my arm and into the empty space beside me.
“Yes! Yes, it’s open,” she rushes out.
The guy, who I can now pinpoint as the one who owns the gas station at the entrance to town, gives her an easy smile and pulls his wallet out of his back pocket—a stupid spot to keep it.
“I’m glad to hear that. How much is admission?” he asks, apparently too busy staring at Delaney to read.
I snort. “It’s on the sign above my head.”
“Right. My bad.”
Delaney shoots me a sharp look before nudging me out of the way for the second time today and taking her place in the centre of the booth. I cross my arms and keep the guy pinned beneath my steady glare.
“You can just drop the money into the jar, and then we’re good to go. We don’t have change. I promise it’s awkward for everyone,” she says, consoling him as if this isn’t her first time either.
He laughs and nods before following her instructions. Once the money falls into the jar, he focuses on her and waits silently.
Delaney instructs him to lean a bit closer before smoothly sweeping in toward him and pressing her lips to his cheek. Before they have a chance to break apart, I’m crouching to fish out a ticket for him and slapping it onto the booth.
“Here you go. Make sure you keep an eye out for opening night at the new drive-in to use your ticket. Thanks.”
