Page 45 of Not My Love Story

The corner of her mouth slid into a teasing smile. “Yes, oh. But please, keep going.”

How had he ever thought he could accept life without her?

She was an anchor point, the rewarding calm of his first cup of coffee, the infinite possibility of a blank page, the satisfying conclusion to a problem no one had ever solved.

He cupped her cheek, admiring, let her easy and familiar calm take hold even as his heart beat rapidly in his chest.

“Where should I start?”

“The beginning usually works.”

“I’ve been wrong so many times in my life, but walking away from you six months ago was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I won’t make that mistake again.There’s no good excuse, except to say that I was afraid. How I feel about you is terrifying and incredible, and I didn’t know how to deal with it, so I ran. And when you walked into that room, I panicked.”

He had so much to make up for. Months of moments they’d never get back, with only the hope that she’d give him the chance to do it right.

“I couldn’t let myself believe that this would end happily, because those endings never felt possible for me. But I kept wanting it — wanting you — and I planned to tell you this yesterday, but then Lee called, and then you were gone this morning and —”

Hayley cut him off with a kiss.

“Honestly. I’ve only been waiting for you to say something. You’re not the only one who couldn’t stay away, Harry. I’ve been telling myself for months to get over you, that what we had was a temporary thing. But I kept thinking about you, and I had to know —”

He couldn’t hold himself back any longer. He slid his arm around her waist and kissed her. It was hard to hold back, on anything — his relief that she hadn’t left, the pleasure of hearing that she felt the same, the adrenaline rush of what tomorrow might bring. He didn’t want to back away from it any longer, so he let it flow through him, translated it into every press of his lips, the curl of his tongue, feeling it returned as Hayley hummed happy little sounds and pulled at his shirt.

It left him lightheaded. “I should have done that the minute I saw you.”

Hayley ducked her head. Her hair fanned across her cheeks, but it couldn’t hide the blush.

And god help him, but he finally got it. Everything she’d been saying. If he could use his words to make another person feel the way he did right now — blood singing, chest bursting with love — wasn’t he duty bound to do it? Disappointment, frustration, boredom couldn’t be avoided, not forever. But hope, joy, love were to be coveted, shared.

He brushed the high point of her cheek with his lips. “I…”

Hayley pressed closer, capturing his mouth, pulling him by the neck, as he gathered her closer, arms tight around her back.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say it.”

But he did.

He wanted to.

What he felt for her was momentous. It couldn’t really be as simple as a few words, could it? He needed to go big, express it in a way that befit the enormity of his love for her. It was silly, but she’d been calling him that since they met, no reason to dissuade her from the truth now. If she minded, she wouldn’t be here, right? So why not embrace it? It was only what she’d been trying to get him to do since the start of the week. Emilia would be proud. Harrison might have been the last person to get it, but better late than never.

The hallway was too small, too blank, too bright. He couldn’t tell her here. What kind of writer was he?

“I wanna do this right.”

“Did you do it wrong the other night? Because I’m happy to help you practice.”

Fuck. He wanted to get wrecked in the best way.

“No, I mean, this.” He gestured weakly, distracted as she bit his jaw and palmed his cock.

“Harry?”

“Hold that thought. Can we go somewhere?”

Confusion settled between her brows, but Hayley nodded.

49 EXT. COURTYARD - DAY

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