Page 91 of Live, Ranch, Love

“No, please,” I take a step forward, snatching up the distance between us, eyes wide and pleading. Aurora’s lip quivers and I drop one hand from the paper to weave my fingers through hers.

“Just let me say this. Just trust in me blindly, for a moment. I know that we haven’t had long together, and that I’m asking a lot of you, when you have a whole life back in England. But I don’t think you were meant to come here just to find some inspiration to write and then leave again. I think the universe knew we needed each other, that we belong together. And I think Grace did too.”

I bite down on my lip, thinking about all the time I’ve wasted lamenting over what I’ve lost. But now I realise, it was all to make space for someone as bright as her.

“I’ve never really let myself dream too far into the future, unsure if forever even exists. But if there is such a thing as forever in this crazy world, then I know that it has to be you. You make me so unbelievably happy, it’s actually scary. You’re so goddamn beautiful and perfect and funny and… God, I would give anything to just have a fraction of your light grace my life.”

I lift my hand to wipe away the tear rolling down her freckled cheek with my thumb. Aurora leans into my touch, lashes fluttering down, copper waves falling over one side of her face.

“Because, well, I love you, Aurora Jones.”

A wobbly, earth-shattering smile appears.

“I love you too, Wyatt Hensley,” Aurora chokes out, glossy hazel eyes sparkling.

Then her arms fold around me, squeezing my core, like she can’t get close enough. I nestle her into me, letting her heat imprint into my bones, resting my head against hers so I can breathe in as much of her bright, zesty scent. The one that makes me feel so alive.

I’ve hugged Aurora before. I’ve felt and tasted, every inch of her body. I know every one of her curves like the back of my hand. But this embrace feels different. It feels like all the unspoken words and longing we’ve tried to hide away these two months. It feels like all the promises I’ve ever wanted to make to her, that I’ll give her a life where she never has to question her worth again. And maybe she’d give me that back too.

If I could stay in this one moment for eternity, I would. Just me and her, together. Nothing else matters, because I love her, and she loves me. This right here, is my forever. This is all I want to live for.

“I didn’t kiss Holly, I promise,” I whisper into her hair, followed by a flurry of kisses against her parting, letting myself get immersed into the fiery red waves I adore so much. The words come out unsteadily, but I need to make sure she knows.

She nods beneath me, arms tightening more than I thought possible, fingers stroking over where my Icarus tattoo lies. I’m going to have to find a new meaning for that now.

I might have flown too close to the golden sun, and I might have fallen, but turns out the depths of the ocean that caught me were more glorious than I could’ve ever imagined. I fell, but it was in love.

“I know,” Aurora whimpers. “I’m sorry for not listening to you. I trust you. I really do.”

“Please don’t go.”

Her body stiffens. She tugs herself back to stare up at me, then admits almost half-laughing, “I was never going anywhere, Wyatt.”

Though every one of my muscles seems to relax from her words, the admission pouring hope into all my unhealed wounds, I look at Aurora with twisted confusion. “But Flynn said you were leaving with Jake. To say goodbye to me.”

With a shake of her head, hands still gripping my ribs, Aurora counters, “No, I told Flynn to tell you I needed to go to the airport to sort out Jake—his flight got cancelled yesterday and we couldn’t get him on another until this morning. I was saying goodbye to him. I was going to come back to tell you that I loved you, once we were finally alone.”

My mouth drops open, but no words come out.

Safe to say Flynn will be shovelling horseshit for the next year.

“Didn’t you wonder why I had no suitcases? Besides, why would I drive my own truck and leave it in the car park if I was never coming back to Colorado?”

“Those are some good questions…” I suck my teeth, loosing my hand from the small of her back to rub my forehead. The curls around my hairline are damp from where I’d been running, sticking to my skin.

“You’re such an idiot,” she chuckles, the beautiful sound ringing right through me, shivers running down my spine.

Aurora stretches onto her tip toes and wraps her hands around my neck, tugging me down until our lips collide.

I hadn’t realised how much I’d needed this, to kiss her once more, when I’d bolted over here thinking I might never experience the starfall that came with tasting her lips ever again. My blood sings at the feel of her in my hands, pumping harder when I grab her hips and pin them against me. I’ve kissed her hundreds of times now, yet every single time still makes me feel like I’ve been starved up until then. That there will never be enough Aurora Jones for me to drink up.

Aurora pulls away first, barely leaving a gap between our lips. She rests her forehead against mine, peering up into my eyes, two pools of glorious, promising hazel searching mine. She’d looked at me like this before, almost two months ago, and I’d been worried that I might not be able to give her what she wanted. But the way her face softens this time, I know she’s found it.

She’s found me.

“I love you,” she whispers, hot breath against my lips. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. There’s no one’s arms I’d rather have holding me up, Hensley.”

“I love you too, Princess.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, keeping her close, as we walk out of the airport. I don’t want to go another second without feeling her against me.

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