Was it possible she looked even more beautiful than the last time I had seen her? Hands down, she was the most stunning woman I’d ever seen, and I would spend every day for the rest of our lives making up for the two months we’d lost.
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You gonna eye-fuck me all day or sit down?”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “I have every intention of punishing that smart mouth of yours later.”
As I took a seat next to her on the porch swing, she clicked her tongue. “Promises, promises.”
Turning my body to face hers, I cupped her face with my hands. Leaning in until our foreheads touched, I took a deep breath. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since I first saw her standing on the porch of my childhood home.
I still had difficulty believing she had come here and knew the truth. Could it really be so simple to wash away the hurt I’d caused her?
I was about to kiss her lips softly, when she spoke. “I have a bone to pick with you.”
Well, that was my answer. I should have known. Nothing was ever simple with this woman.
Reluctantly, I released my hold on her face and pulled back to look her in the eyes. Toying with the end of her braid, I sighed. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t. The way I treated you . . . There’s no excuse. I’m an asshole.”
Teeth descended upon her plush lower lip to hide a smile. Releasing it, she shrugged. “That’s not new information. You always were.”
The tightness in my chest eased somewhat. If she was teasing, maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as I thought.
“Why is it that I had to hear that you’re in love with me from my dad?” Hannah asked.
Taking her hand in mine, I brushed my thumb over her knuckles, transfixed by how perfectly we fit together. “That night went completely off the rails.” Hannah scoffed, but I pressed forward, explaining, “I decided before puck drop that, win or lose, afterward I would tell you how I felt. The feelings weren’t new; I’d had them for a while. Then everything went sideways.”
A soft sniffle made my head snap up, and the tears streaming down Hannah’s face broke my heart all over again. I couldn’t bear to see her upset a minute longer.
“Baby, please don’t cry. I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, and it tore me up inside watching you suffer, then hearingfrom our friends how I needed to pull my head out of my ass and fix it. I wanted to. So badly. I couldn’t see a way to bring us back together without tearing apart your family. I didn’t think I could be enough for you if you lost them.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, twin tears leaked out, rolling down her cheeks. Barely above a whisper, she said, “You were all I ever needed. When you went down, I lost my shit because I couldn’t picture a world without you in it.Youare the only person I could picture myself with for the rest of my life.”
My heart soared at her admission. My sun rose and set with her, but to hear her say she wanted forever with me stole my breath away.
Reaching out, I wiped the wetness from her face. “I promise never to hold back how I feel ever again. I will tell you every minute of every day to make up for what I put you through. You’ll be sick of me by the end of the week.”
Her laugh was shaky, but it was a start—a fresh beginning for us.
Hannah’s eyes searched mine, and as the silence stretched between us, I began to sweat as doubts raced through my mind.
Why wasn’t she saying anything?
What if I’d read this situation all wrong?
What if she didn’t want me back?
What if the damage was too deep?
Those brilliant blue eyes widened. “Okay. I’m waiting . . .”
Lord, this woman.
A chuckle rumbled through my chest. “Now?”
Hannah’s signature sarcasm was back in full force. “No. Not now. Wouldn’t want to force you into anything. Maybe I can call up my dad, and you can tell him again while I listen in.”
She might drive me insane, but boy, did I love her. “That mouth of yours gets you into all kinds of trouble.”
Tossing me a wink, she retorted, “Only the best kind.”
