Page 54 of New River Gorge(ous)
“I liked it when you kissed me,” I whisper as he steps closer.
I take a step toward him, and he closes the distance. His warm hands land on my back as he pulls me into an embrace. His lips land on mine, gentle and soft.
He’s warm and kind and good.
When he pulls away, he looks deep into my eyes and says three words that make my heart hammer out a beat in double time.
“I love you.”
29
Beck
Why did I just tell Brooke I love her after our first kiss? Because I’m an idiot, but also because I do love her, and I can’t deny it, and my dumb friends are right. The moment those words left my mouth, a peace settled deep within my chest. Something true and good and beautiful sprang to life in my heart.
Brooke doesn’t say anything, and it’s awkward. I start to back away, dropping my hands from the small of her back, when she opens her mouth, then closes it again.
“I … You?” She closes her eyes. “You love me?” She cracks one eye open like she’s trying to make sure I don’t disappear.
I bend and place a kiss on the corner of her closed eye, on the scar that reminds me of a paintbrush. “Yes,” I say, my voice catching. “I do.”
“But you told me…” she starts, trailing off again. “You told me to be patient with you.”
“I know I did. I was just too stubborn to admit what I was feeling.”
“Because of Addie?” she asks.
Addie’s name makes me angry, I don’t want anything to do with Addie anymore. Never again.
“No,” I say, but I know that’s a lie. “A little,” I amend. “Mostly, you scare me. I tried to wall myself off, and yet, even with all my defenses, you still managed to get through.”
“I wasn’t trying…” she starts, but I lightly kiss her lips to stop her.
“I know you weren’t. And that’s what I noticed. You don’t have to try for me to notice you. You don’t have to do anything other than be you for me to want to be around you. And I don’t like people much, so that makes you really special.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean youloveme.”
“Brooke?” Her pretty blue eyes captivate me. I lower my mouth to hers and kiss her again, deeper this time. “I think I’d be the one who knows when I love someone.”
“But—but…” she sputters as I hold her closer.
“Brooke, please trust me.” I whisper the plea against her hair. “I love you.” I link her hand in mine and walk toward June’s porch swing, holding it steady as Brooke settles on it.
I drop onto the seat next to Brooke and place my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me.
Brooke leans into me, and I savor the feel of her under my arm, the rightness about this.
“But why are you telling menow?” she presses. The fact that she hasn’t said she loves me back has me retreating inward.
What if she doesn’t find me worthy? What if she rejects me too?
I don’t think I could handle that.
I meet her eyes with my own serious gaze. “Because I saw something with your friends today that made me think about my future.”
“Future…” Brooke says. This woman will not make things easy for me.
“A wife, a family, kids, and all the things I thought I didn’t want, especially after … everything.”
