Page 74 of Until Tomorrow
“Just a kids’ baseball movie!” he retorted dramatically, making me laugh. “The audacity! It’s the best fucking film of our generation. A childhood masterpiece!”
“It’ll never beatThe Goonies.I’ll die on this hill.”
“I’ll convince you.”
“Good luck.”However, I had a feeling this was going to become a staple disagreement between the two of us.
“Movie date it is,” Loren said.
“Movie date it is, but you’ll never change my mind.” I shrugged. Was it a good thing to be planning a second date while still on the first one? I was counting it.
Despite the obscenely early morning hour, I wasn’t ready to go home, and neither was he. We took a walk to his favorite spot. The long walkway ran parallel to the waterfront. It was dark, quiet, and peaceful, even with the city lights glittering in the distance.
The ease with which I took his hand as we walked surprised me, but I liked Loren. I liked how easygoing he was—it soothed my anxiety. I liked his sense of humor and how he made me laugh. I liked talking to him and listening to whatever stories he shared. It was so much more than that, but I struggled to organize those thoughts.
I just enjoyed him.
“I’ve come out here for years,” Loren said. Even though he was quiet, it still sounded loud. “It’s my secret spot, so don’t go advertising it.”
“I’ll do my best,” I replied with a small laugh. I ran my thumb over the curve of his for comfort. My heart hammered wildly in my chest. I prepared for cookies and conversations. I hadn’t prepared for an oddly romantic walk in the dark.
When he stopped, I turned to face him. His mouth found mine and caught me off guard. My breath stuck in my throat as I closed my eyes and tried not to overthink it. The internal panic ensued while my mouth barely moved against his. Was I doing this wrong? Was he enjoying it?
What the hell was going on in my head?
“You’re thinking too much, Logan,” Loren murmured against my lips when he pulled back slightly. I let out an awkward laugh.
“That’s my specialty,” I admitted rather pathetically. “I get stuck inside my head.”
The words were painful just to say aloud. How many people got stuck inside their heads while kissing a handsome man? Probably just me.
“Do you want to stop?” he asked, but I shook my head even as he did. “Close your eyes for me, baby.”
Yes, because asking the anxious person to close his eyes in an anxiety-inducing situation worked well.Granted, he didn’t know I had anxiety, so he couldn’t be blamed. And it wasn’t his fault that my brain did whatever the hell it wanted sometimes.
Doing my best not to go down that spiral, I closed my eyes. Loren’s hands framed my face gently. The calluses on his fingers were a stark contrast to the gentleness of his touch. The feel of his fingers brushing over my cheeks was soothing. I sighed, letting go of the breath I held onto.
When his lips finally touched mine again, all the little thoughts in my brain shut down. I tilted my head slightly and leaned into it. His tongue brushed against the seam of my mouth, and I deepened the kiss without hesitation. The taste of chocolate and coffee was almost as consuming as he was.
I felt that kiss in every part of me head-to-toe. The cascade of warmth rolling through me was overwhelming and inviting all at the same time. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer, needing more of him. That quiet moan he let out sparked through my body like lightning.
His fingers combed through my hair, and every nerve in my body was alive with his touch. It was so wildly different than kissing Eva. His soft scruff, his muscular body, his height. He had rough edges and was masculine in ways I wasn’t used to.But I liked it.
I liked his body pressed against mine—fuck, if my dick didn’t agree. I hoped to hell he couldn’t feel it because that was the last thing I needed for a first kiss. But every part of me enjoyed his presence in my space. I wanted more of him. I wanted whatever the hell he would give me.
Loren leaned back, and I barely caught a glimpse of a smile in the dark. I could’ve said a dozen different things, but I didn’t. Instead, I kissed him again.
Chapter 40
Logan
Thelightsinourcondo were out by the time I got home—all except the small one above the stove. I smiled.Eva’s way of making sure I didn’t trip over myself coming into the house. It was the little things that made such a big difference—the things that made Eva so wonderfully herself.
She was passed out in bed, curled around my pillow and hers in the middle of the bed. That little notion made my smile widen. I kept quiet as I got ready for bed, avoiding lights and doing my best not to make a sound. When I finally crawled into bed, I did my best to find a place I could fit. No pillow, half a blanket, and a small spot on the bed was what I was left with. It didn’t bother me. There was something endearing about seeing her sprawled out in our bed rather than sticking to her side of the bed.
While I should’ve slept, I couldn’t. I was wildly floating, not anxiously, but with disbelief. With an odd reassurance about myself. About my situation.This was my honest-to-God life.
I gently laid a hand on Eva’s side, unable to help it. I’d never deserve this woman. Not really. The safe space she’d created for me to figure my sexuality out was more than I could’ve ever hoped for. Emotion clogged my throat. I’d never be able to put into words what that meant to me.
