Page 140 of Wish You Were Mine
His throat worked as he swallowed, and for a second, all I could do was watch him, completely undone by this sweet, tenderhearted man.
“You care so much,” I whispered. “Feel things deeply. I love that about you.”
A flicker of surprise crossed hisface.
“You love with all of you,” I added, my voice steadier now. “Deep and true. I can feel it in the way you talk about them…”
Maybe even in the way you are looking at me right now.
Did Owen love me?
No. Probably not—not yet. This thing between us was still so new.
But when his hand came up to cradle the back of my head, his thumb brushing lightly along my cheek like he didn’t quite know how to say what he was feeling…it made me wonder if he was getting close.
And that thought?
It made something in my chest go quiet and full at the same time.
Because I was already on my way there.
To loving this man I wasn’t supposed to fall for.
He kissed me again and I kissed him back, pouring every beat of my heart into it.
I let my fingers trail over his tattoo again, tracing not just the shape of the ink but everything it stood for. His losses. His loyalty. The way he gave himself so completely when he let someone in.
And all I could think was how beautiful it would be to be loved like that by Owen Park one day.
43
OWEN
I clickedthrough the last slide of the lecture and glanced toward the back of the room, scanning the rows of students as they started to pack up.
Still no sign of Lucy.
I’d been looking for her since the second I walked into the room. I kept telling myself she was probably just running late, that maybe she’d sprint through the doors with that breathless smile and flushed cheeks. But the hour passed. No Lucy.
Had something come up?
Had she gotten hurt at practice?
Was she sick?
I finished the lecture with more autopilot than focus, my brain already drafting a text by the time I shut my laptop.
Me: Hey, I missed you in class today. Hope everything is okay.
I stared at the screen for a beat, waiting for the typing dots to pop up.
Nothing.
I had another lecture starting in ten minutes, so I slipped my phone back into my pocket and hoped she’d get back to me soon. We hadn’t been able to see each other yesterday—both of us buried in school and work. But still…this was the first time she’d ever missed class.
Halfway through the second lecture, my phone buzzed. I kept speaking, barely missing a beat as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and casually glanced down at the message.
Theo’s sister: Sorry. Had a bad fever and threw up last night. Thought it was the sushi Nora brought home. But then the sore throat kicked in and it turns out I have strep.
