Page 41 of The Marrying Kind
Turning back, I noticed the shimmering green color brightening in the sky, with little strips of pink dancing across it. It was all moving ... I guessed seeing just photos of it my whole life, I didn’t realize how much it was going to move like that. It was hauntingly beautiful. Austen held me tight as we both got lost in the majesty of it.
“This is incredible. The world is truly so freaking beautiful. I wish my parents could have seen this.”
“I’m sure Stephanie and Dennis would be happy to know that you’re seeing it, princess.”
Clearly, I was a head case, because when Austen said my parents’ names so casually, it made me feel this strong tug toward him. Like he was my new home, because he was the only soul left in this world who was rooting for me. And I was about to run off on him.
In that moment, I wanted to throw the whole stupid list out the damn window.
“I wish you could stay with me,” he said softly as he pressed his lips against my neck.
“I can’t.” I squeaked the words from my tight throat. “I’m sorry. You’ve been so kind and so supportive. You’ve let me into your family and showed me an amazing time. Being around you makes me feel so ... I don’t know how to say it, but I feel so steady. I’ve never felt addicted to someone like this, but that’s the exact reason why I need to go. I can’t give you the things you want. I’ll just be an anchor holding you back in life.”
“What is it that you think I want from you?” he rasped, and I craned my neck to meet his eyes.
“I’m broken, Austen. You deserve a good woman who will love you back. Someone who will give you the babies you want. I can’t.”
He opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but snapped it shut again for a minute before he touched my cheek and gave me a gentle, “Okay.”
The touch was searing ... loving. That’s all I could take from that touch. It was tender and soft and somehow full of pity. It made me wonder what he thought of me. Did he see how much he affected me? How strong his pull was?
“Don’t touch me, Austen. Not you. Not like that.”
My words came out harsher than I meant them, butdammit, I felt like my world was crashing down around me. From the way this man had taken it upon himself to show me the wonders of his world, to show me what I would be missing.
“Like what?” he asked, eyeing me cautiously.
“Like I’m fragile, like I’m made of glass.” I bit my lip to stop my eyes from welling up.
“You’re not fragile. You never were.” His voice was deep, sincere.
I wasn’t fragile, I knew that much, but I felt like I was around this man. One touch, and I might shatter into a thousand pieces.
I’d known him for such a short time. He shouldn’t affect me this much—this butterfly, heart-racing thing I was currently experiencing was entirely unnecessary.
Then, of course, in true Austen fashion, he said the perfectly right thing that settled it all.
“You’re going to see so many incredible things this year, and when you do, I hope you think of me sometimes. And that you’ll visit me again in the future and bring lots of pictures and stories back with you.”
At that, I crashed into his lips, and he lifted me straight from our chair, carrying me inside to the large cozy bed.
17
FINAL WISHES
Austen
It was Ella’s last day in town.
That thought kept nagging at my mind, gnawing like a rat on a wire. Every time I tried to think of something else, I got pulled right back to that unpleasant reality.
As much as I wanted to sayfuck itto my responsibilities right now and work on showing Ella just how magical I could make life around Kodiak Canyon for her, I had to let that fantasy go. If my trip to see the northern lights didn’t sway her, nothing would. I was going to have to accept the reality that the little life I wanted in my small town wasn’t going to compare to whatever fantastic things Ella was planning to see in the world.
“Which two flavors are we tasting again?” I said absently to Noah as he set the glasses in front of us.
“You’re spaced out today. Is it Ella?” he asked.
I didn’t want to give Noah the satisfaction. He’d seen the writing on the wall the whole time, and I didn’t want to hear him say,I told you so.
