Page 29 of Until the End

I smile down at her. “Happy to help.” I palm her neck, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “You look beautiful, Goose.”

“Thank you.” She scrunches her nose. “Apparently, that’s all I can think of saying.”

I chuckle. “You know your face does most of the talking for you, right?”

She gives me an indignant look.

“See? I don’t even need to hear you say you’re annoyed with me.”

Ginny punches me in the arm, making me laugh. “Shut up.”

“You ready to go?”

“Yep. Gia probably isn’t, though.”

“What else is new?” I stare down at Ginny, taking advantage of the fact that I don’t have to hide my feelings from her anymore. She knows I want to explore whatever this is between us. There’s freedom in that idea. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Are you?”

“I am now. I’ve been dying to see you since we last talked.”

“Then why didn’t you come over?”

The truth comes out without thought. “I was terrified. Right now, I have hope. The second we do this, the risk multiplies tenfold.”

Ginny reaches up, mirroring my hold on her cheeks. “I’m just as scared, but without the risk, we’ll never have the reward.”

“Are we really doing this, Goose? Do you honestly have feelings for me?”

Ginny’s smile is soft. “Yes, and yes.”

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say those words.”

“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea.”

I lean to press my forehead against hers. Our mouths brush in the barest hint of a kiss.

“Come on, bitches! We’re gonna be late!” Gia’s voice startles us apart.

Ginny’s cheeks flame, and I grin at her. “Come on, gorgeous.” I hold my hand out, and she takes it firmly in hers.

We walk down the hall together, our fingers entwined. Gia’s waiting by the front door. She’s got a sly smile on her face as she takes us in. “’Bout time you two got ready to go. I’ve been waiting here forever.”

I roll my eyes. “You’re a pain in the ass.” Ginny tries to let go of my hand, but I tighten my hold. If we’re doing this, she needs to get used to being affectionate in front of ourfriends. I’m not about to tongue-fuck her the second we’re in public—though I’m not opposed—but I’m also not going to hide what she means to me.

Outside, I open the passenger door for Ginny. I love putting that soft, affectionate look on her face.

Gia is standing on the driver’s side with her arms crossed. “What about me?”

I open Gia’s door with dramatic flair. “Here you are, my liege.”

“Why, thank you, good sir.” Gia gracefully folds herself into the back seat. Ginny’s sweet giggles entice me into the driver’s seat. My life feels oddly settled right now. I have my best friends at my side and the love of my life willing to give me a shot. What more could I possibly need?

The drive over to Lottie and Gia’s house takes about twenty minutes. Now that the paps have finally dispersed, Ginny’s had way more freedom to move around town. Daren has a team watching over her at all times, but at least she’s not cooped up anymore.

The whole town has come together to keep an eye on Ginny. Some of us may gossip about each other nonstop, but if an outsider tries to get information on one of us, we close ranks pretty quickly. We’re loyal to our own, no matter what. The B&Bs in town jacked up their prices while the journalists stayed here, and the restaurants put on a tourist tax just for them. I have no idea if it was legal, but the town benefited from their vulture-like behavior.

Warm lights welcome us to Lottie’s house. She and Gia technically rent it from Lottie’s parents, but they’ve been living there for so long now that we’ve come to think of it as theirs.

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