Page 100 of That Time We Kissed Under the Mistletoe
No turkey leftovers in the fridge.
No cake for my birthday.
“If you stay with me, I’ll be fine,” I mumble into his hot skin. “I’m just a little … cold.” My body trembles even as the words come out. “See? That shaking is just my systems bringing myself back to normal.”
“Your systems?”
“Nervous. Sympathetic. Para … para-something.”
“Huh.” Three rests his chin on my head and tightens his grip on me. “Even frozen, you’re still presenting arguments like a lawyer.”
“My particular set of skills.” I try to laugh, but the sound is closer to a mouse squeaking.
Three’s quiet for at least a full minute, holding me in his arms. He brushes a damp strand of hair off my face, and presses a kiss to the top of my head. “If that’s what you want,” he says at last. “We can just stay here. Together. For now. But you have to be okay, Sara. You justhave to be okay.”
“I will.” I nod against him, his heartbeat a soft pulse on my cheek.
“I’m so, so sorry.” His voice goes gravelly on the apology, and a pang of sympathy cuts through me. He’s probably feeling just as guilty as I did after giving him a concussion.
“It’s not your fault,” I whisper.
But maybe it’s mine.
Because I think a part of me offered to come to Abieville because Iwantedto run into Three. A secret part buried deep down inside that packed my favorite green dress. Sure, I told myself I’d avoid him like the plague, and when Bristol questioned my wisdom, I swore I’d get in and out of town unscathed. Now here I am, lying in Three’s arms, at the risk of being totally, completely …scathed.
But the truth is, I feel more whole now than I ever have.
And more in love.
I meant those words a decade ago, and ten years of time hasn’t snuffed the flame. My feeling simply lay dormant, waiting for this reconnection that must be meant to be. Because in all this time, no other relationship has ever come close tous. I thought the walls I built around my heart were to keep me safe from the potential pain of other men. But now I know what I was really doing was saving my heart for him.
“I’m going to tell my parents tomorrow,” I say, slowly, the words muffled by his skin.
“About falling in the lake?”
“No.” I swallow hard. “About you.”
Three exhales a long gust of breath. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“I need them to know everything that’s happened here. Not just over these past few days, but ten years ago too. Are you okay with that?”
There’s a beat of quiet. Then he says, “Am I okay with your mom and dad finding out I overheard their plans to confront you and keep us apart? And that I ended up hurting you to avoid that?Sure. But also tell them that’s why I got my act together. Got my degree. Got my career. I honestly owe them a debt of gratitude, although I didn’t know it at the time.”
“I’m not sure we have to go that far,” I say softly. “Webothgot pretty hurt.”
“But that was my choice, not theirs. And hopefully who I am now will be good enough for them.”
I lift my head to press a light kiss to his chest, and goose bumps rise along his skin. “You don’t have to be enough for my parents,” I tell him. “Because you’re enough for me.”
The echo of a groan moves under his ribs. “That doesn’t change our situation, though.”
“We don’t have to figure that out tonight.”
“So.” He reaches for my hand. “What should we do instead?”
I shift in his arms, and he gently tips my face up to kiss me. And despite our body heat and the warmth of the fire, we both shiver.
For a while, we stay just like that, Three cradling me in his arms while my body learns to self-regulate again. Then, even though he’s the one who’s supposed to be taking it easy, Three gets busy taking care of me like he’s been doing it his whole life.
