Page 125 of Keep Me
My mom had passed away, but I was slowly rebuilding my family in her honor. We were going to be stronger. Olana was finally gone, and the only person I felt like I strived to impress was my wife, and to become the husband she deserved.
“Matty.” Her voice called me from across the beach, and when I turned to look at her, I lost my breath.
Was it always going to be like this? Would I always lose my breath every time I saw her again? If I didn’t get used to my wife’s beauty soon, I was going to need to get myself an inhaler.
Britt waved, her hair blowing in all directions from the wind. She pulled it to the side, holding it back from the sea breeze. With her heels in her hand, she jogged gently down the quiet beach to get to me.
Better than any walk down the aisle because she was already mine.
How did I get so lucky?
There she was.
My wife. My future. My everything.
All I needed to do now was make sure it stayed that way.
Meeting her in the middle, I pulled her into a hug and kissed her cold cheek, taking her in and noting the goose bumps marring her skin. I immediately brought my hands to her bare shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm.
“Did you find the place okay?”
She grinned, offering me another quick peck on the lips. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
“That you are.”
Was I smiling like a goofy idiot? I sure as hell felt like one. Britt’s eyes glistened with what I could only hope was love as she looked up at me. I pulled her in close, wishing I could unzip my skin and tuck her inside. I wanted her to be with me forever. Nothing else would do.
“I parked just over there.” She pointed to a small parking lot with only her Jeep as she snuggled into me. “I know this beach well.”
I kissed the top of her forehead before saying, “It’s where your parents would take you before you moved to LA, right?”
She tipped her chin up to look at me with her lips parted. “How did you know that?”
“Britt, I know when you turn your vibrator on. Are you really surprised how much I know about you at this point?”
“I need to be surprised, otherwise I’ll think you’re tracking everything.”
I was tracking everything, but she didn’t need to know that.
“I actually know that because you told me.”
“I did?”
“Yup.” I looked up to the sky, thinking about it for a second. “It was the second time I met you in the coffee shop freshman year. I was coming here with the guys for some team bonding, and that’s when you told me it was your favorite place on earth. I believe it was because you and your brother…” I scrunched my nose. “Bryce? I think it was Bryce would make these giant sandcastles, and Max would always run into them.”
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “And you’re just going to throw that out there like it’s not crazy you remember that?”
“You’re thinking about things too much.” Holding her hand, I kissed her knuckles and smiled. “But do you still like it here?”
“I love it.”
“Good.”
“Why are we here?” she asked, tossing her windswept hair over her shoulder, and looking at me with the same excitement in her eyes as when she said, “I do.”
“Because I have something to show you.” I held out my hand to her, and she narrowed her gaze to it. Was she hesitating?“Come on, Britt. Are you telling me you don’t trust me after everything?”
“Of course I do.”
