Page 97 of Actually Yours

“What?” I ask, trying to get up again.

“Just wait!” This time, Lilly presses me back down into my seat. “And watch.”

My gaze returns to Jake, who’s staring at me intently, his glasses glinting in the sunlight. My heart thumps painfully in my chest as he bends over to pick something up. Pieces of cardboard paper.What’s going on?

“He’s really doing it!” Bella squeals.

Jake holds up the first one and I read what is scrawled across it, in his neat handwriting.

AMELIA, I’M SORRY THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG.

He flips to the next one.

THAT IT’S TAKEN ME SO LONG

TO TELL YOU…

I feel the entire café hold its breath as he pauses before flipping to the next card.

TO ME, YOU ARE PERFECT.

“He didn’t need to copy the movie exactly,” Bella grumbles before being shushed by Lilly.The movie? He’sLove, Actually-ing me?

Jake holds up the next card.

I’VE LOVED YOU FROM THE MOMENT WE MET.

AND I’VE WAITED FOR YOU TO BE READY TO LOVE ME BACK.

Tears fill my eyes and I wipe at them frantically, not wanting to miss a thing.

AND SO I CAN TELL YOU THIS…

WITHOUT FEAR OR HESITATION…

THAT I’M ACTUALLY YOURS…

FOR AS LONG AS YOU’LL HAVE ME…

SO, FOREVER?

Jake ends on this card, his face hopeful, imploring me to answer. I nod, tears now running freely down my face.

He loves me? He wants to be with me? Forever!

“What are you waiting for?” Bella’s hands, which had been holding me down, are now pulling me up. “Don’t leave him standing there.”

Jake’s expression has turned from hopeful to worried and I galvanise into action. Without seeing where I’m going, who or what is in front of me, I bolt to the front door, slamming it open and racing towards him. To where he’s waiting with open arms.

“Do you mean it?” I ask as he pulls me into him, his arms like steel closing in around my waist. He’s not letting me go.

“I mean every word and more, Millie,” he whispers into my ear as hot tears continue to pour from my eyes. “I should have fought for you that first night. And I should have fought for you every day since. You’ve had my heart for so long, it no longer belongs to me. It’s yours now. If you’ll have it?”

He looks down at me, uncertain, and I kiss his worries away. With my lips on his, I tell him everything that has been locked away in my heart. And he kisses me back with the same intensity, the two of us lost in the wonders of just kissing each other with no barriers in our way.

“We can swap.” I press a damp kiss on his lips. “Because you’ve got mine. You’ve had it for some time now.”

He leans down to kiss me again, stopping when a group of kindergarten children, holding hands in groups of three, plough into us.

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