Page 125 of That Moment
Scotty grabs my face in his hands, his palms rough and trembling, and kisses me so hard it knocks the air from my lungs. It’s not gentle. It’s not careful. It’s everything he’s been holding back.
When he finally pulls away, his forehead drops to mine, breath ragged. “I love you,” he mutters, voice cracking. “God, Adrienne, I love you so damn much I don’t know what to do with it.”
My eyes burn, tears spilling before I can stop them. “Then why?—”
“Because I didn’t think I deserved you,” he chokes out, cutting me off. “You walk into a room and it’s like the whole damn world looks at you, and then there’s me—the guy who can barely string two words together when you smile.” His voice breaks, raw and real. “I thought if I stayed quiet, if I didn’t want too much, maybe I could keep you close without ruining it.”
I shake my head, tears streaming. “You never ruined anything.”
He exhales hard, the sound shaking through him. “I should’ve fought for us before. I should’ve told you how I felt the first time I saw you standing in that garage with your coffee and that smart-ass grin.” His hands drop to my shoulders, gripping tight. “You were everything I wanted and everything I was scared to reach for. And when I finally had you, I got too used to thinking I’d lose you.”
His voice lowers, rough and trembling. “I don’t ever want to lose you again, Adrienne. I’ll fight for you. I’ll fight forus.I’ll protect what we have with everything I’ve got.” He presses his forehead harder against mine, like he needs me to feel it. “You want L.A.? I’ll pack my shit and go. You want to stay here? I’ll build whatever life you want, however you want it. Just—just don’t walk away from me. Don’t make me live in a world where I don’t get to love you.”
He brushes a tear off my cheek with his thumb, voice softening. “I was gonna tell you the other night. When I gave you that locket.” His jaw trembles as he swallows hard. “I wanted to tell you that you’re it for me. Always have been. I just didn’t want to screw it up by saying it too late.”
My heart feels like it’s splitting open in my chest. “You didn’t screw anything up.”
He lets out a shaky laugh, a tear sliding down his own cheek. “Yeah, I did. But I’ll spend the rest of my life making it right if you’ll let me.”
I lift a trembling hand to his face, thumb tracing the wet line on his cheek. “You already are.”
His mouth finds mine again, slower now, less desperate, more reverent. The kind of kiss that feels like forever starting right here. I can feel the tremor in his hands as they slide into my hair, like he’s scared I’ll disappear if he lets go.
When he finally pulls back, he’s smiling. “This is that moment.”
“What moment?”
He looks at me like he’s memorizing me; every tear, every breath, every inch. His thumb traces my bottom lip, gently. “The one where everything changes. When you stop fighting it, stop running, and just… know.”
“Know what?” I whisper.
“That it’s real. That you’ve found your person. That you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.” He presses his forehead to mine, voice trembling as he says, “This… us. This isthatmoment.”
When he kisses me again, it’s like the world exhales with me, letting all of my fear go. His hands move down, rough palms mapping my skin like he’s relearning every inch of me. The tears, the fight, the fear, they all burn away until there’s only raw emotion left between us.
The sheet slips from my body, pooling at our feet. His shirt joins it. Then his jeans. He’s everywhere, his hands and lips and the soft scrape of stubble against my neck.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he rasps, voice unsteady. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you, but I swear I’ll spend my life proving I do.”
He lifts me easily, carrying me back to the bed, lowering me onto the cool sheets. His eyes never leave mine as he settles over me, every line of him pressed into me. Like he’s trying to show me everything he can’t put into words. I arch into him, my fingers threading through his hair, a soft cry breaking from my lips as he moves.
He cups my face, his forehead pressed to mine, whispering between breaths, “I’ve got you. Always. I’ll protect you, love you, fight for you every damn day.”
Tears spill again, but they’re not from pain. It’s an overwhelming release of years of holding back. Years of wondering why it never felt right with anyone else. Years ofwondering if it was me, when the entire time, I was just holding myself back from my person.
When I come apart beneath him, he’s right there with me. His mouth is on my neck, his voice rough and wrecked as he pantsI love youover and over again.
After, he stays inside me, both of us still trembling, breaths mingling in the quiet. His thumb strokes my cheek as he whispers, “This is why I was scared. Because this… this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, baby.”
Chapter 24
Scotty
The steam curls up from my coffee. I made it extra strong this morning, both of us needing the extra caffeine with the lack of sleep we had last night. Adrienne’s porch creaks under the weight of my chair as I lean back. The morning air has a bite to it these days, and since I’m only in my boxers, my exposed skin feels it.
Adrienne’s toes are in my lap, pink polish catching the sunlight. She’s curled up, wearing only my shirt, sleeves swallowing her shoulders, the hem riding up enough to flash the tops of those endless legs. I should probably be thinking about what this means, about what the hell we said last night. But all I can do is press my thumb along her ankle bone and soak in the quiet.
She watches me over the rim of her mug, eyes still heavy with sleep. “You’re staring,” she murmurs, lips curving into a teasing smile.
