Page 51 of Forever to Fall
Throat closing with all the words she wanted to say in response, Mallory was at a loss. “You love me?”
“Yes, for about a million years.”
Mallory felt both heavy with dread and light as a feather. “But what are we going to do about it?” They’d done this dance before, mastered the steps until one of them was left alone and hurting, the other having stomped on their hopes for the future.
“I want us to date.” Beckett suggested so freely, so easily, she wanted to laugh. Or vomit, she hadn’t officially decided.
“You want us to date?” Now it was her turn to be incredulous. “Beckett, I’m pretty sure you’ve said this before. What about Evan?”
Throwing her brother into the conversation was tantamount to dousing a grease fire in water, things only got scarier and a whole lot messier. “Our feelings don’t seem to matter when it comes to coming out to my brother.”
“Our feelings,” Beckett clarified. “You feel the same way?”
Mallory rolled her eyes and threw her head back in a cackle. “Really, Beckett? You really don’t think I love you?” Recovering, she reached out and flicked him on the forehead. “You’re an idiot.”
Beckett covered the sore spot but smiled. “True, but you’re the one in love with an idiot.” That earned him another flick before he could dodge away. “Ow.”
“You’re going to keep getting those until you tell me how we’re going to do this.”
Hope flashed in Beckett’s eyes. “So you’re in?”
“Yes, of course, I’m in.”
Beckett reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “It was the pizza, wasn’t it? I knew I’d pull you in with the promise of unlimited cheese and bread.”
“You certainly know the way to my heart, you goofball.” Mallory kissed Beckett, sweetly and with all her heart. Their lips grazed each other as a feeling of utter contentment washed over her. This felt so right, but she knew they still had work to do. Pulling back, she broke the kiss on a sigh. “We need to tell Evan. I can’t keep pretending I like hiding, of being hidden.” Her admission cost a lot, and she hoped Beckett realized how much she’d been hurting since his Gram’s funeral.
“The engagement party is in two weeks,” Beckett started, licking his lips as he continued his plan. “I know I’m weak, but I don’t want to upset Evan or stress him out.” Mallory couldn’t necessarily disagree, but she thought Beckett might be selling her brother short.
“You think he’d be that upset, and what? Call off the wedding?”
Now it was Mallory’s turn for a flick, right on the shoulder. “No, but I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder. Us showing up as a couple in front of your sisters and parents will draw attention away from Evan and CeCe, and I don’t want that. I want our moment to be our moment, and theirs to be theirs.”
“Dammit, you have a point.” Just as Beckett started to look too arrogant, she added, “Finally.”
“We’ll still go to the party as each other’s dates, but it’ll be as friends.”
“You’re telling me you want to test the waters?” Mallory asked, her expression pinched. “I hate to state the obvious, but haven’t we already done that?”
Beckett ran a hand down his face, knocking his glasses off. Mallory’s reflexes were quick, and she snatched them before they could clatter to the floor. “I know this is ridiculous, but hear me out. In a matter of months, this will all be over.” Sensing she misunderstood what he meant, he quickly added, “I mean the wedding stuff. Let’s go on dates, real ones in the meantime. And we’ll go to the engagement party and wedding as each other’s dates.”
Mallory toyed with the edge of his collar, rubbing the cotton between her fingers as she thought. “But you really want to date me? You want to come to my place and vice versa?”
“Yes, Mal. I want to date you. I want to parade you around town on my arm. I want to get matching outfits for the party, and I want to hold you in my arms while we dance at the reception.”
With a snort, Mallory let her hand drop. “Matching outfits will not be required, but I’m liking the sound of the rest of this.”
But there was one big issue they needed to address. “Beckett, what happens if you tell Evan and he’s upset? You’ve always said his friendship is too important to lose.”
Beckett let out a breath, but he didn’t back away. “He’s the closest thing I have to a brother. It would hurt to lose him, but it’s worth the risk. Frankly, I can’t keep doing this with you, Mal. I can’t keep pretending I don’t want to spend every waking moment with you. As soon as they’re married, we’re going to go public. I want the fanfare, and I want you.”
It was everything she’d wanted to hear, but she was still nervous. She trusted Beckett and could sense his words were based on contemplation and planning. He was working his way toward a future that hopefully had it all.
“Let’s do it,” she said, closing the distance to seal their ridiculous plan with a kiss.
“You mean it?” Beckett asked, tracing a line down her cheek until his hand rested over her heart. “I love you, Mallory. I want to make this a reality.”
And it was all she wanted too. Mallory had waited forever for Beckett Fox. Surely she could wait a few more weeks.
