“Since you always call me Grinch, I figured I might as well dress the part,” he adds with a spin, showing me the full view.
I bite my lip to keep from smiling so much, but my cheeks are already sore as I lift my phone to show him the photo I chose as my lock screen of Buttercream dressed in his own Grinch outfit. “Like father, like son.”
The smile on Luke’s face is brilliant. He strides over to the bed, slides in next to me, and takes my phone from my hands to study the image. I relish in the deep, shaking-all-over type of laugh that escapes him.
“Why is our cat dressed up as the Grinch?” he asks, handing my phone back to me.
I take it and open up the text thread from Wren and hand the phone back to him, watching as his eyes widen with amusement as he scrolls through the photos. He smiles—the wide, toothy kind. He looks so at ease, like a huge weight has been lifted off his shoulders and he’s finally feeling content.
He turns to look over at me. “Now it’s my turn to ask what that look is for?”
I want to tell him that he keeps showing me pieces of himself that I want to collect like the pink and red Starbursts hebrings me each day. That ever since we kissed, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Instead, I ask, “How did things go with your dad?”
He holds my gaze for so long, his body tense, that I think he’s not going to respond. He surprises me with another wide smile, “Honestly, it went better than I expected.”
I push myself into a seated position and motion for him to do the same, much like we used to do when we were kids. I listen intently as he starts explaining his conversation with his grandmother and how that gave him a renewed perspective before approaching his dad. He tells me how God worked on his heart, and because of it, he was able to forgive Davis. And how after everything, he was able to lead his father into salvation.
I’m wiping tears away, surprised at the emotions filling my heart as he tells me everything. I’m so proud of Luke. I lean over and give him a watery peck on the lips before pulling away and allowing him to wipe a few fresh tears from my cheeks.
“We sat and talked for an hour after that. He told me a little bit about growing up in this house, about what led him to his poor choices. Then he gave me some valuable information about some of his old buddies that Rick will be thankful to have. We might be able to put those guys in jail for good.”
“You’re amazing. You know that, right?” I give him a toothy smile of my own.
The corners of his mouth tip up. “I could say the same thing about you.”
He pulls me in for a hug, his arms wrapping around me, and he places his chin on top of my head. I lean into him, enjoying how he feels even more solid than he looks, and welcome another all-consuming and perfect kiss. As we pull away, both of us sharing a goofy grin, he kisses me on the forehead.
“Now, want to explain to me why your sister dressed up our cat?” he asks, and I burst into another fit of laughter.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Luke
Morning sunshine flows through the curtains, casting a ray of light onto Olivia’s face, making her skin look warm and golden. My heart swells at the sight of her as memories from last night replay in my mind. We spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms, looking through old photographs on Olivia’s phone, eating the cookie dough my grandmother had in the fridge. We shared a few kisses then fell asleep watchingThe Grinch.
This right here is my own slice of heaven. I want to wake up like this every single morning for the rest of my life. I want Olivia’s body pressed against mine, her sleepy breath fanning against my chest, her bed head sticking up every which way.
You’d think I would be used to her by now. Over the last fifteen years, she’s been woven into many details in my life. She's seen me with braces, with a broken heart, with a sprained ankle from trying to prove I could skateboard in high school. We’ve shared more late-night takeout and inside jokes than I can count.
But this…this is different.
She’s curled into my side like she belongs here, as if we weren’t fake dating twenty-four hours ago, like she didn’t kiss me last night and change my entire world.
I don’t even remember falling asleep. I just remember not wanting to stop touching her. Not in some lust-fueled way, but in the way you hold on to something when you realize you’ve been missing it your whole life. I don’t know what will happen next. I’m unsure if this will break everything or build something new.
She stirs, accidentally smacking me in the face with the back of her hand, and my chuckle causes her to stir awake. “Did I hit you?” she mumbles, blinking away her sleepy haze.
“Yup,” I reply and wrap my arms around her.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“I’m perfect. I’ll gladly be beaten up by you if it means that I get to wake up with you every day.”
She twists her body until she can get a better look at me. “Wow, you must really have it bad for me.” Her voice is full of teasing as a smirk spreads across her beautiful face.
I tip forward so I can speak directly into her ear. “You have no idea.”
