Page 85 of Unbound
He nods and then sighs, knowing exactly what song I’m referring to. His head remains tucked down, his chin nearly touching his chest. A heartfelt smile tugs at my lips as I watch his lashes dance shadows across his cheeks.
“What does this mean?” My question runs deep and he knows it. All of this, him being here, Lyric, the song, him leaving in the morning… I desperately want to know what all of it means.
“I just…” and then nothing.
Nothing!
“Just what?” I’m nervous, but we’re being honest and it feels so good for once.
“Even when I was in Seattle, I couldn’t forget you. I tried. God, did I fucking try but something wouldn’t let me.” We stop swaying to the music and he holds me still. “Sophie, I live and breathe and think about you all the fucking time. I wish I didn’t. I really do. You said it was my smile that drew you in, but until last night, I hadn’t seen yours in years. The worst part about it is I’m the reason for that.”
My throat constricts. I know exactly what he’s referring to. For the longest time, I don’t think I knew how to smile anymore.
“I still love you.” My breath leaves my lips with a whoosh. I had to say it. He needs to know where I stand in all this. “I never stopped.”
“Sophie….” He sighs, both his hands raising to frame my face. As soon as he touches me, I’m done. My body trembles at the thought of being with him again. It’s the kind of electricity and needles I experienced in the beginning. The kind that attacks your bones knowing this is the touch I’ve been waiting for my entire life. For so long his touch was harsh, regret filled, and it would fall away just as easily as it came. Now it’s different. We’re different. “I don’t want to leave here tomorrow without knowing I have you to come back to when I’m done with my last five shows.”
His gaze is sincere and intense as he frames my face with his palms, his eager lips finding mine. They’re the same lips I’ve felt for years, but the kiss is different. It’s the beginning of others, a new chapter in our life.
“Can I see you when I get back? Like a date?”
“I’d like that. Maybe one where you don’t flip a table over?”
He sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes as we begin to sway to the music again. “I’ll try really hard. Maybe we should try McDonalds? Their tables are bolted down.”
I grin and stare up at him. “Good point.”
