"Only if they're of you, pretty girl. I love you."
I roll my eyes at his cheesiness but also swoon a little. "I love you too."
I end the call with the biggest smile, confident everything will be good tomorrow.
Chapter 32
At nine the following day I walk into the mudroom of our house and take off all my outerwear. I frown. The house is quiet. Cole had messaged that they had all made it home and were waiting, but no one appears to be here. I walk into the empty kitchen and put down the plates of goodies I’d baked.
“Hello,” I call out, but there’s no answer. I stop to listen, but I hear nothing but my own breathing. I set my keys on the counter, and that’s when I spot a note.
Is it cold in here, or is it just me? Leave me open, and things will go sour fast.
What is this? It’s some riddle, but what does it mean? It takes me a moment to reread the words for my mind to click. It’s a refrigerator. Maybe the guys have made some kind of scavenger hunt. I open the fridge, but I see nothing unusual. When I close it and turn around, I jump and shriek.
“Foster, you scared the shit out of me.”
He winces, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was in the pantry waiting to hear you open the refrigeration before I came out.”
“In the pantry? Why?”
“To surprise you.”
I see he’s holding a bouquet of roses, and my brow creases in confusion. “What are those for?”
He rolls his eyes, “You. Come here.”
I walk around the island and meet him on the other side. He hands me the roses.
“What is th–”
He puts his fingers on my lips to stop me. “Please, just let me do this.”
His fingers are shaking and sweaty as he takes my hand in his. “I get to go first because I was the first to get a redo of our relationship. Blake, I may not have been your first love, but you were mine. You enchanted my teenage heart, from our tutoring sessions to the star watching by the lake. I made the biggest mistake when I let you go from my life, but I wasn’t ready for a love like ours. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world by allowing me a second chance at loving you.”
He pulls me into his arms and gives me the most loving kiss, pouring all of his love into it and making my knees weak. When we break apart, I lean on the counter for support.
He hands me another note. “Go find your next boyfriend. I’ll take these and put them in a vase.”
I give him the flowers and unfold the note.
I can skip but can’t walk. I’d rather sing than talk.
Okay, the singing means this is about Talon. It takes me a little longer than the first, but I realize the answer is a record, and I know exactly where he’s waiting for me. I run down the stairs to the basement and down the hall to the recording studio. Talon is there for me, sitting in a chair with an acoustic guitar in his lap.
“Hi,” I say when I see him.
He gives me a brilliant smile, “Hi, Kitten,” he nods to the seat next to him. “Sit.”
I do, and he begins to strum on his guitar. He sings the song he wrote about us, and his smooth voice soothes me as I listen to the truth in the lyrics. His emerald eyes are bright with emotion the whole time, making my tears leak. It’s raw listening to him sing it just for me.
When it’s done, I give him barely a second to put down the guitar before I throw myself in his arms and ravish his mouth with mine. He reluctantly pushes me away.
“Sorry, Kitten, you still have one more to go.” He hands me another note.
When you get dirty,
You should get in one of these
