Page 61 of Linc
“I… I had an appointment—”
He lets out a breath on my shoulder and neck, making the words in my head jumbled and not at all able to surface through my mouth.
“Twenty bucks says they kiss.”
“You ain’t even got two bucks to your name.”
“Yo, shut up man.”
The bantering must bring Linc out of this situation, as he takes a step back.I let out the breath I was holding and try to gather my thoughts.He walks back to the door and pops his head in.
“You guys go and have some fun today.Try and remember what we talked about.I’m here if any of you need me.”He dismisses them as they mumble, leading out the other side door at the front of the room.
The door closes with a deafening click and all that can be heard is my heart pounding against my ribcage.
“Everly,” Linc starts but I interrupt him.
“I’m sorry I came here.I should’ve called or emailed you, not just showed up…”
Two large hands press against my body, one on my uninjured shoulder and the other on my hip giving them a light squeeze.I shake my head to stop rambling; I’ve become a bumbling idiot.
“Baby, take a breath before you pass out.”
I finally look up at his face and see worry written across it.
“Linc,” I say but a lump gets caught in my throat and tears prick the backs of my eyes.I can’t help the flow as they start to stream down my cheeks, but his thumb is right there to catch every one of them.Seeing him here in the flesh, after a month, is overwhelming me.
“Don’t cry, baby.It kills me every time.”
Linc pulls me in, careful of my arm, and holds me as I let the past few weeks wring out of me.I feel Linc lean down and, with a strong arm he picks me up from under my knees and cradles me to his chest while moving us.I bury my face in his neck and breathe in his scent.God, he smells like home.
“Tell me what you need, Everly.”I hear the sound of a door open and then he has us seated with me in his lap as he slightly rocks us.
Looking up, I lift my head so that my eyes and his eyes are focused.
“You, Linc.I need you.”
“Me?”He asks, shocked by my answer.
“Yes, you Linc.I need you.”He starts searching over my face with his eyes, as if he thinks he’s hearing the wrong words coming out of my mouth.
Reaching up, I cup his cheek and lean in close.
“I love you, Lincoln Thorne.I love you and I should’ve told you that before I left.”
He swallows hard as his Adam’s apple bobs.
“You love me?”
“I do.I love you with everything in me.This past month has been miserable, and I’m sorry for shutting you out.I thought I needed some time to think, but what I really needed was you.”
“Oh Everly, I love you too.I thought I’d lost you after what happened.I’m so sorry for everything and not being up front…”
I place a finger over his lips.
“It’s done and I know we have other things to discuss but right now I just want you to hold me for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“Anything you want, baby.”
