Page 72 of Winter Wishlist
Rapid muttering in French fills my ears.
“You’re pulling over?” Reid asks.
More blinking. More confusion. “Yeah…”
Concern fills his tone. “Is everything alright?”
In the background comes more tutting. “I told you she would be too tired.”
“How do you know I’m—” The rest of that question dies on my tongue. I don’t need to ask howtheyknow I’m in the process of pulling over.
All it takes is one glance in my rearview, and a gasp drops out of me.
Reid’s truck is parked right behind my bumper. Stella’s pointed ears fill the space in the center of the windshield.
Two doors open, and two sets of broad shoulders emerge.
My hot tears return, sliding down my face, bringing with them the strangest sense of relief.
Reid opens my door and crouches down. He doesn’t try to explain anything, but simply gives me a crooked, boyish smile, with creases forming around his eyes. “You think we had plans for the New Year that didn’t involve you?” He reaches up with a thumb to swipe away the wetness from my cheeks.
“Osti. This car is an absolute piece of shit, baby.” The suspension protests loudly as Henri slides the seat back and heaves himself into the passenger side.
“What are you doing here?” My head is on a swivel, gaping at the two of them.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk about plans for the New Year.” Henri shrugs. “You choose… wherever you wanna go. Whatever you wanna do.”
I’m shaking. None of this is real. Surely? “This doesn’t make any sense. You don’t know me. I’m an anxious mess half the time, the other half I’m incredibly boring.”
“Well, I’m impulsive. I’m demanding. And I’m guilty of falling hard and fast when it’s the right person.” Henri barely fits inside my car, but adjusts himself to lay one arm around the back of my headrest and hold me in his hazel stare. “You deserve to be loved out loud. To be adored in front of anyone and everyone. Let us be the ones who get to do that.”
I damn near choke on my sobs.
Reid gently takes my chin and turns my eyes to meet his. “It’s rare that I find myself at ease with someone to the point I can enjoy an evening with a total stranger. You wanna know how many times I’ve had that happen in my life, sugar? Take a guess at how many times I’ve been struck by lightning.”
Struggling to breathe is the least of my concerns. That upswell of emotion now merges with the need to rapidly blink away a surge of hot tears. I grab his palm, turning it over in my hand and closing his fingers into a fist, leaving just his forefinger extended.
Once.
“Henri is your bolt of lightning, your electric heartbeat.” I sniff. That’s how it works, isn’t it?
Reid gives me a soft smile. He slowly takes my hand and does the same in return, closing my pinky and ring finger; however, he keeps two remaining outstretched. He clasps my hand and presses those two fingers over his heart.
“Twice,” he murmurs. “I’m a lucky son of a bitch, with two keys to my heart, and they belong to both of you.”
“You don’t mean that…”
“Tell us you don’t feel the same way,ma petite chérie. Tell us walking out that door was the easiest thing you’ve ever done, and we’ll respect your decision.”
I’m already shaking my head.
“It would be the biggest lie of my life.” My whisper trembles with hope beyond all hope. “That’s a secret I don’t want to carry. Truth is, I’ve never felt more likemethan when I’m around the two of you, and I can’t explain how or why…”
“You don’t need to explain, sweet girl. Maybe you just need to feel? We can figure the rest out as it comes.”
“What are you saying?”
“Stay. Stay with us.”
