Page 38 of Artfully Wild
“Yes,” I answer, before I let myself hesitate any longer. The whole reason I planned this date at the place we are headed is because I wanted to confront the memory of the last time we were here. I won’t sabotage myself.
“What?” he asks.
“Yes,” I repeat, letting my hand fall on top of the one still on my thigh, giving it a light squeeze and then threading my fingers with his. “I got the sparrow for you.”
He squeezes back, lifting my hand to his lips and planting a light kiss there. “Mmm, I like that I am permanently a part of you,” he says. I can’t help but burst into a fit of laughter.
“What?” He starts to laugh with me.
“That statement gave off major serial killer vibes.”
“You know what I meant.”
Out of habit, my eyes start to look away, letting the usual feeling of embarrassment from sharing too much of myself take over. Taking a deep breath, I let my tide pull it away and out to sea. No life preserver needed this time as I meet his eyes and open up to him more than I ever have.
“You’ve been a permanent part of my life since the day I met you, Jacob Sinclair. And you will be forever if you want to be.”
“I do,” he says without hesitation.
The brakes squeal—something that needs to be moved to the top of Axel’s list apparently— as we come to a stop in the gravel parking lot next to a lake that is now frozen over. Devil’s Lake is tucked away about thirty minutes from Blue Grove.
I look over to see his reaction at being here. The last time we were here together was when we were teenagers when we made a deal we have both regretted for years.
“Do you remember that deal we made years ago?”
“The one I’m pretty sure we shattered into a million pieces the second you kissed me?”
I laugh. “That’s the one.”
“What about it?”
“I instantly regretted it,” I admit, sheepishly.
He bursts out laughing clearly amused at us. I don’t know if he’s laughing at me or with me. At the fact that we could have been together this whole time if either of us were just a little less stubborn. Or less afraid.
And I start laughing with him—I don’t care either way as long as I can hear that sound every day for the rest of my life.
“Why are you laughing?” I giggle.
“Because—” he forces out, not able to control himself, tears now starting to escape out of the corner of his eyes. “That deal…was theworstdecision I ever made…and you felt the same way this whole time.”
“We are idiots,” I manage to get out.
I exhale, calming my heart rate, letting the laughter slowly subside. I wipe the tears from my face and reach for his hand, his fingers instantly threading through mine again. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that. I don’t think I want to.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
JACOB
This lake brings back a flood of memories and I wonder if Skylar is thinking the same. We used to sneak out of our houses in the middle of winter to come here to skate around and play one on one hockey whenever we could. Eventually I’m pretty sure our parents caught on, but they either trusted us more than we gave them credit for or they were actually oblivious that we were sneaking out.
Giddy, Skylar retrieves the duffle bag from the back and gets out of the RV. Laughter pours from my lips as I race behind her running toward the lake, high off the brisk air and the rush of the feelings swirling in my chest. I follow her, my fingers stinging with the sharp air.
I try to create some warmth by rubbing them together only providing temporary relief. “Do you have extra gloves in there by chance?”
“Not in the bag but I should have some in the small closet next to the bathroom,” she says without looking up from the bag where she is pulling out skates and sticks.
“I’ll be right back then.”
