Page 35 of Next to You

“I got it.” Carefully, I stepped into the massive tub. My muscles unclenched and relaxed as I sank into the shimmeringwater—it was the perfect temperature, which I always thought wasalmosttoo hot. I could feel it in my bones. It was always a strange sensation whenever I was recovering from a migraine. The pain was never just in my head, and I would always forget how tense my entire body would get.

A deep sigh escaped, along with a few tears of relief.

“Is it too hot?”

I swiped beneath my eyes, hoping he hadn’t noticed. “No. It’s perfect. You have no idea what you’ve done for me.”

He offered me a washcloth, which I took, dipping it into the water to place across my forehead. Then, I put my toes on the tub's edge and stretched out.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him leaning on one hip against the counter, watching me. I grabbed the side of the tub and let my head float.

“Hunter gets headaches like you do,” he remarked. “A few times when we were kids, Dad had to take him to the ER. I’ll tell him about the hot bath thing, though he’s way too tall to fit like you do.”

“Is he the oldest?”

“Yep. Hunter, Deacon, Tucker, Brody, me, and Charlotte.”

“Damn, I have four half-sisters. We’re close, but I’ve never shared a house with them. What was that like? Did you have to brawl for time in the bathroom every morning?”

“We had four bathrooms, and yeah, sometimes it was a close call.”

“God, I hope Charlotte had her own.”

He chuckled. “She did. Dad gave her the room with the attached bath.”

“Ha! Good.”

“Do you want to stay like this? I can leave if you’d rather relax alone.”

“No, stay, please.” I turned my head to face him. “Having my mom wash my hair was always one of the silver linings of a headache when I lived at home with her. I’d pay someone to wash my hair every day if I could. But I mean, if this is awkward or whatever, I understand.”

“I do not feel awkward,” his protest was immediate. “There is nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you. I mean that, Lucy.”

A charged silence filled the air. I saw him grab the shampoo bottle and kneel at the tub's edge, resting one hand near my head.

“You don’t give me butterflies,” I blurted out.

“Ouch.” His face fell into a mask of uncertainty. “You know how to make a guy feel good.”

I sat up, accidentally splashing water over the side of the tub in my haste to bring back his smile. “No, this is better than butterflies,” I clarified, covering his broad hand with both of mine. “With you, I feel like I’m sinking into a warm bath—just like this one. Or like I’m finally coming home after a long day. You don’t scare me, is what I’m trying to say. I’m not sitting here wondering how this thing with you will fall apart or what you’ll end up doing to hurt me. For the first time in my life, I have hope. I trust you, Spencer. I’ve never felt this way before.”

His eyes gentled, growing contemplative. “I trust you too. I want you to know that I’m falling for you, Lucy. I think something inside of me always knew this would happen if I ever had the chance to get close to you.”

“I feel the same way. I’ve always had a thing for you since high school.”

His words lit me up inside. Having him confirm out loud what I’d been suspecting he felt was a heady feeling. Having my feelings reciprocated meant I was right to trust my gut when it came to him, which meant more than anything. After so manyletdowns, this thing with Spencer was repairing my heart piece by piece.

“I liked you too, Spencer. I was just too shy to do anything about it.”

“I don’t want this to end when we go home.” He did not attempt to be cagey with his feelings, to keep me guessing and uncertain, and it set something free inside me. Each day here had me opening up to the possibility of being with him more and more. Tonight might push me over the edge.

“It won’t end, Spencer. I won’t let it.” I tightened my grip on his hand. I wanted to pull him into the tub with me, but this wasn’t the time to let my physical desires eclipse the real and heretofore unprecedented feelings flowing between us. “I’m pretty stubborn,” I confessed to lighten the mood. “I’ve also been told I’m clingy and needy—previously described as negative traits that might work in your favor when we get out of this cabin. We shall see. I mean, you should know what you’re getting into if you want to be with me.”

“Ah, I get you.” Teasing laughter lit up his eyes. “Well, I’ve been told that I’m too bossy in bed, and I should stop thinking I know what’s best all the time. I’m also a know-it-all, and I should never grow a beard.” He hadn’t shaved since we got here, and his beard was sexy.

I let the bed comment slide because,yum.I felt those words right in a spot I shouldn’t be thinking about when I was sitting here practically naked in front of him, and he was not wearing a shirt. “Do not shave the beard. Not anytime soon, anyway.” Back to joking, “Oh! We can’t forget what Skip McFadden said about how I should dress to impress and wear more makeup.”

His low, throaty laugh filled the room. “Sweetheart, you’re gorgeous. You’ll always be gorgeous, no matter what you wear.”

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