Page 152 of The Hookup Situation
Iwake up to the smell of bacon and coffee, and for a moment, I think I’m dreaming. Then I see Julie standing in the bedroom doorway, holding a tray and wearing nothing but a T-shirt and panties.
“Happy thirty-one days,” she says with a sweet smile. “Ready to disappear and pretend I don’t exist?”
“As if that’s possible. I tried that last year, but it didn’t work out for me,” I tell her, sitting upright to lean against her headboard.
She sets the tray on the nightstand and climbs onto the bed, straddling my lap. Julie leans forward and kisses me, tasting like coffee and promise.
“How does it feel to make it past your infamous thirty-day mark?” she asks against my mouth, then pulls away. “Wait, does this even count? I mean,technically…”
“Hell yeah, it does.” I wrap my arms around her, leaning in to kiss her again. “The countdown began the moment I kissed you in the coffee shop.”
“So, you’re finally admitting thatyoukissedme?” She laughs, running her fingers through mymessy hair.
“I wanted to.”
I love the way she looks at me. It makes me believe I’m something special, something worth her time.
“Good, because I woke up early and made breakfast to celebrate this record-breaking occasion.”
“Thank you.”
The wordsI need you and want you foreversit heavy on my tongue, begging to be said, but I’m keeping emotions to myself. We agreed to wait, and it’s still two and a half weeks away. It’s hard.
“Thank you for not sliding out of bed last night and disappearing.” She grins. “Or suddenly deciding you need to find yourself in Tibet.”
“The only thing I need is more of you,” I admit freely.
“You have me.”
“Forever?” I tease as she crawls off of me.
I sit up straighter, and she sets the tray on my lap. There are two plates, one for each of us, and two cups of steaming coffee. She prepared crispy bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, and hash browns.
“Wow,” I say. “This is the first time a woman has ever made me breakfast in bed.”
“Really?” She looks proud of herself. “I feel special to have one of your firsts.”
“You are special,” I admit. “No one ever cared enough.”
Her smile fades. “That makes me sad.”
“Aw, don’t be.” I chuckle. “I wasn’t the best partner. Being with you has made me realize I was an entitled asshole for no reason, who had zero respect for myself or anyone else. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome.” She sips her coffee, eyeing me. “So, I kept my end of our fake-dating bargain?”
“Hell yeah, you did,” I say. “I’m not the same person I was when I arrived. Truthfully, I don’t know how I’ll transition back to my life.”
“You’ll figure it out,” she says. “You know why?”
I shake my head.
“Because what’s meant to bealwayshas a way of working itself out.”
“You believe that?” I ask.
“Yep,” she says. “Think about the things in your life that have worked out. For me, I didn’t have to force anything because it fell into place. That’s how relationships should be too. Try because you want to and because you care, not because youhaveto. Pour your energy into what matters. It’s impossible to force a square peg into a round hole.”
I smile. “I’m so damn lucky to have met you.”
