Page 147 of Only Ever You

Her chin trembled, anddamn itBash had to grab ahold of his nerves before he welled up too. He didn’t care that he was a man grovelling in front of strangers – which teenage Bash would be proud of. He would walk across fire to get to Faye if he needed to.

“I’d rather do that than lose you because I fuc—” Two round eyes of the wiggling child at the table next to him caught Bash’s attention for a split second. “ …Messedup.”

A quiet chuckle that she swallowed back broke from Faye – a sound like gold dust, as a tear dripped onto her cheek.

Bash smiled, so inexplicably in awe of her. “I know that one day I’ll get to say I’m Faye Whittaker’s husband. I don’t need to worry, and I don’t need to rush.”

He couldn’t believe how many months it’d taken him to convince himself of that.Life isn’t always about moving on up. Sometimes it’s about sitting and being happy where you are for a while.He owed Bennet a thank you for reminding him of that.

He watched Faye simply look at him in return, soaking up all of his feelings he poured out into this empty space between them.

The crowd studying them didn’t matter any more and he’d all but forgotten they were there until a telltale sniffle made him realise that someone other than Faye shed a tear.Happytears. Bash’s body ached to be close enough to wipe hers away and kiss her cheeks and her nose. Whisper how much he loved her right before their lips met.

He laid her note upon the counter and covered it with his steady hands, forming a bridge between them – all that Faye had to do was take it.

“We’re never going to be perfect, but I can promise that I willtry,” he said.“I’ll show up for everything you do like I’ve always done. If you’re not in my arms then know that you’re safe in my heart,always. So go to Manchester, Peanut. Set up your new incredible bakery. And every second I’m not here working, I promise to be there with you.” His head tilted and a curl of hair fell into his forehead, peering more nervously. “That is … if you want me to?”

The longer Faye silently gazed at him, the more Bash had to fight the urge to swallow. He might not have blinked at all in the last minute. His chest filled and swelled and he couldn't breathe as he waited for her to say anything at all.

What if he hadn’t been enough? What if he’d blown this—them?

Faye wrote that she’d been scared to lose control of the future, which he supposed was why springing marriage upon her hadn’t been a good idea; but now she had faith that together, everything would be okay. In this note beneath his hands, she’d given him her trust to not break her heart.

So here he stood, risking the chance that sayingnomight lead to the greatest love of his life.

Each of Faye’s ragged breaths were agony, gazes locked.

Come on, Peanut.

Bash was ready to burst. The sting behind his eyes burned and burned. He wasn’t short of begging on his knees if that’s what it’d take for Faye to end his despair.

Finally, she wet her lips and blinked. “Chandra?”

Bash’s lungs seized, his pulse flying through the ceiling.

“Yeah babe?” Chandra’s presence had softened, but he didn’t doubt she would kick him out if Faye asked her to.

“I think … ” The tension around Faye’s eyes ebbed. “I’m going to take the afternoon off and have lunch with my boyfriend.”

For a second, Bash heard nothing but a ringing in his ears, and then exhaled as if he was ready to collapse upon the counter with how Faye’d strung him up in a twist of doubt for a cruel minute.

She pulled loose the knot on the back of her apron, beaming,glowing,as she handed the green garment off to Chandra and her likewise grin.

Bash tracked her movements around the counter and display cases like he was suspended in time, his heart racing for an entirely different reason as she came to him. Like a rush of newlifenow coursed through his veins.

The queue of customers boasted rightly confused expressions but moved out of Faye’s eager way. Bash’s arms were there ready to catch her as she barrelled into him, her soft lips upon his a split second later.

“It’s about damn time,” one of the elderly sisters, two of Faye’s regulars, muttered in his periphery.

“You owe me a tenner,” boasted the other.

It was strange to be applauded for a kiss, but there werewhoopsand applause as Faye crushed herself against him and kissed him over and over. Bash was almost scared he’d break her ribs from how tightly he kept his arms around her, but she circled hers around his neck and held his face with just as much fierceness.

“Are you sure?” Bash took a well needed breath.

Faye nodded. “I’m sure.”

Despite her breathlessness, there wasn’t room for any doubt in her answer. Her nose brushed his and Bash could’ve crumbled from the tender little gesture. He’d never needed to worry so much after all.

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