Page 119 of All Your Firsts

“I love you so fucking much.”

My lips crash down on hers with more force than necessary, but I can’t help myself.

I need her.

All of her.

As I pull her onto my lap, she lets out a surprised gasp, her eyes widening. I gaze up at her figure silhouetted against the night sky. Her bright green eyes, sparkling with excitement, light up her face as a small smile appears on her lips. I can’t help but reach out and softly stroke her cheek. Her eyes flutter shut as if my touch is a cure. When really, hers is mine.

“Say it again,” I whisper.

“I love you.”

The feeling of weightless euphoria fills me like no drug could.

She is my drug.

She is my antidote.

She is my everything.

“Say my name,” I say, wanting to hear her call me by my first name.

“I love you, Rush.”

Epilogue

Rosie

One Week Later

I raise the wine bottle to my lips with a smile as I look over at the girls. Jenna and Jess became fast friends while Alexa was on her disaster of a date. Half of me thinks she shouldn’t push Gage, but the other half hopes she gives him hell every step of the way. Their arranged marriage is still happening, and I can tell it will be the most entertaining event of my life. I’ll have popcorn and Sour Patch Kids at the ready.

“We can still run... all of us,” Alexa says with a smile.

“I’m in.” Jenna shrugs.

“Not a chance,” I say with a laugh.

Tonight is my bachelorette party. It’s the night before my wedding, and I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and peace.

For tonight, I have an unlimited amount of alcohol, enough comfort food to keep us fed for a month, and my best friends, all in superhero pajamas.

“Okay, now that we’re all here,” Jenna says as she gives a pointed look at Alexa. “Here’s to Rosie. Let’s drink to her bagging a man who’s fine as hell, and let’s hope he knows how to use that tongue.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Jess says before downing her ginger ale. Something shifted within her after the night of the attempted kidnapping, and her demeanor has changed ever since. Sometimes I catch glimpses of a carefree side I’ve never witnessed before, like tonight, but other times, she seems to meticulously ponder every word and action. It still breaks my heart to think I’m the reason she’s different.

“Sometimes you need a censor,” Alexa says with a scrunch of her nose.

“Says the girl who looked ten seconds away from fucking in a very public parking lot.”

“Ew, Jenna, I don’t want the reminder,” I say as I take another drink. Hoping it will wash that image from my brain.

Jenna points her finger at me. “You know it’s true. The tension was intense. I could feel it from across the parking lot. Alexa’s marriage to your brother will be lit!” she exclaims.

“More like an unfortunate house fire, which is why I’m not marrying him.”

“Yeah, sure. I guess we’ll see how that goes.” Jenna laughs.

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