Page 93 of Crazy for You
He really does love me.“What if she doesn’t want anything to do with me?”
“She’s in town to meet you,” he said softly.
“Have you met her?” My voice rose.
“No. I’m just the messenger. I’m nervous too.”
I was torturing my bottom lip with my teeth. “Why?”
With his free hand, he ran the pad of his thumb over the lip I was gnawing on. “You’ve been through a lot, and I want you to be happy.”
“You make me happy.”
He let go of my hand and tangled his fingers in my hair. “I love you so hard, Skyler. And the tiniest possibility you could move away is killing me. I’ve been a mess.”
I couldn’t tell, although Colton was an expert in hiding his emotions when he wanted to. “I’m not leaving you.” I tried to infuse as much confidence as I could.
The pounding of my pulse in my ears was all I heard.
After a long, tense moment, he turned the key in the ignition.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I was wrong. I should have told you before we got in the truck. I’m sorry.” He sounded regretful.
I clutched his arm. “Don’t. You’re going in with me?” We needed a backup plan in the event Mr. Wilson couldn’t do anything to replace my aunt with Nan. Yet I didn’t want to use Ashley in that way. I didn’t want to give her any false hopes if she had expectations of me welcoming her with open arms. I certainly wasn’t ready to do that. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to react when I met her.
He nodded. “I won’t leave your side unless you want me to.”
“I’m nervous, Colton.”
“You’re also the strongest person I know.”
“I’m not. I just have great friends, and the best boyfriend on the planet.”
In a flash, his tongue was in my mouth, all gentle strokes and soft kisses.
I moaned, getting lost in him, forgetting for the moment what I was about to do.
He brushed his nose against mine. “I love you. No matter what happens when you walk in there, know that if you fall, I’ll be right there to pick you up.”
My chin trembled as tears threatened to spill, and not because I was sad. Quite the opposite. “How did I get so lucky?”
His grin was electrifying. “I’m the one who won the lottery with you.”
The love pouring off him tempered the trepidation that had been causing my stomach to pitch and roll for the last few minutes.
38
The front door opened before we reached the porch. Grady stood with a hand inside a pocket of his sweatpants. “It’s about time. You’ve been sitting out there forever.”
Grady and Colton swapped a manly hug. “Can it, man,” Colton said. “This is hard for her.”
Grady raised his hands, setting his blue gaze on me. “Sorry.”
My mouth should’ve fallen open at his apology. Grady had never apologized to me. Instead, I smiled at him. “No biggie. Are Mia and Georgia still coming over?”
Grady closed the front door. “Maybe later. My dad and his friend are in the kitchen.” He gave me the impression he was nervous too. Maybe he was. Upon closer inspection, a muscle jumped along his sharp jaw.
