Page 86 of Wish You Would

She nods. “I love you too.”

I exhale a deep breath before I kiss her. A careful, lingering kiss. “I’ve loved you for weeks.”

“I’ve loved you for weeks too.” She smiles back at me. “I was too afraid to tell you.”

“I was too afraid too. I should have told you.”

“I wish we said it sooner, but I’m glad we said it now, because I want you to know how I feel about you.”

“I wasn’t ready when you moved in. I had made promises to myself that I wanted to keep. I was tired of pushing relationships away.” I seal my eyes closed for a second. “But then you happened, Bee, and I didn’t stand a chance. I think I fell in love with you the day you redecorated my house and there wasn’t a chance that I wasn’t able to stop falling. You’ve owned my heart since then. It’s yours, pretty girl. Please don’t break it.”

She collapses into my neck, her palm firmly on my jaw. My hand strokes the back of her hair, holding her close to me. We sit this way, hugging, holding each other, being together in the most vulnerable way.

“Please say it again, Bee,” I whisper into her hair. “I need to hear you say it.”

Her pretty lips press a kiss to my Adam’s apple before she raises her head. “I love you, Holden Banks.”

I run my thumb over the apple of her cheek. “I love you, pretty girl. And I don’t just say that to anyone.”

“I know. I know it’s a big deal for you.”

“Briar, just so we’re clear. The way I feel about you is bone deep. I love the little life we are creating together. I love coming home to you. I love your chaos and spontaneity, your smile and all the vulnerable moments you save just for me,” I tell her, watching her smile spread across her mouth and her cheeks flush. She’s gorgeous. My beautiful girl. “I want this family we’ve created. I want to be the reason you smile. I want you and I forever. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. You are the only woman I want, the only woman I will ever want, and I will marry you one day, baby. I want the three of us to have the same last name.”

“I want that too,” she whispers. “He’s ours.”

“Ours. I love my little Slugger and his mom. You’re mine. Both of you, understand?”

“We are.” She slips her hand through the sides of my hair to my nape, pulling me into her.

She rises to her feet then reaches out her hands to pull me up with her. My arms close around her, holding her tight against my chest. I press my lips into her hair, inhaling her sweet, intoxicating scent, and exhale my relief.

I have everything I’ll ever need right here in my arms. Now I just want this wedding to end so I can take her home and show her just how much I love her.

TWENTY-FOUR

A BOYFRIEND ISN’T NECESSARILY FOREVER

Briar

Holden loves me, and it’s the best feeling in the world. But for some reason, I’m still not able to ease the tightness in my chest.

This is what I’ve been hoping for, what I’ve wanted. To hear him say that he loves me, that he wants the three of us to be a family, making him mine for forever.

I throw a T-shirt on over my sports bra, feeling anxiety rise inside of me. I left a message for my landlord to call me with an update on my apartment and ever since I hung up the phone, I haven’t been able to steady my breathing. When I arrived back in Reed Point, I’d been so excited to move into the cutest apartment in the best location, but ever since living with Holden, I can’t imagine living anywhere but here… with him. The only problem is that Holden hasn’t asked me to stay or even brought it up at all.

After the wedding, when he told me he loved me, I thought he might tell me that he wants me to move in. For good, this time. But he didn’t. It kills me to think that I’ll bemoving out soon. I wish my almost renovated apartment would go up in flames.

This is exactly why it was dangerous to fall in love with Holden. I have zero control over where we go from here. He’s my boyfriend, yes, but a boyfriend isn’t necessarily forever. People change their minds; it happens all the time. They’re in love until they lose interest, and they don’t always stick around. I could lose him. This little house isn’t my home. I’m a visitor, a temporary guest. Everything has moved so fast with us—first living together, then finding out that we’re having a baby together. I guess it would make sense that Holden wants me to move out so we can take a step back and properly date. And if that’s what he wants, then I have no other choice.

Everything feels completely out of my control.

I twist my hair into a knot and throw my belt bag across my body. I can sit in this house and make myself crazy with worry, or I can head to the maternity store and buy myself a new pair of work pants that actually fit. I’m not sure there’s a hair elastic on this planet big enough to fasten my waistband together. I walk down the hall to tell Holden I’m leaving.

“I’m running to the maternity store, babe. I’ll be about an hour.”

I grab my car keys and my purse, then sit down on the bench beside the door to put on my shoes.

“Bee?” I hear him call from the kitchen, as I’m lacing up my runners. “Wait five minutes and I’ll go with you. I wanted to stop at the bubble tea place. I have a craving for mango.”

---