“A few years of krav maga taught me how to properly take out and disarm someone. It’s been a while though. I’m out of practice.”
“Training to be the next Bruce Wayne?”
“More like getting my ass handed to me by an Israeli man in my spare time. But nice Batman reference. Valeria, are you a closet nerd?”
“Nothing closeted about it. It just never came up before.”
His eyes twinkled and as we fell into our familiar banter, the weight on my heart lifted just slightly. When I was with him, everything felt easier.Manageable. In him, I had a true partner, steady and stalwart when I was frantic and fearful. He smoothed my hair, kissing the top of my head.
“Thank you for getting him back to us,” I said.
Nolan pressed his lips to my temple. “Thank you for calling me.”
I smiled as I remembered him saying those same words when I’d called him about the flood.How far we’ve come since then.When I felt him smile against my skin, I knew he was remembering the same thing. My pulse thrummed in my ears as he nuzzled into my neck, and the constant refrain that had taken up in my head since we’d parted ways at Hale’s Peak made itself known once again. In his arms is exactly where I wanted to be. Always. And I couldn’t keep the feelings inside anymore.
“I love you, Nolan.”
When his lips stilled against my throat, I froze.My mind began racing, coming up with every worst-case scenario. My stomach fluttered and I thought I might hurl all over the nice historic hardwood floors. I’d never said those words before. I wasn’t even sure if I’d everbeenin love before Nolan.And I just blurted it out like that, when we haven’t even defined what we’re doing yet?Andhe’s been shot, so he obviously has other things on his mind. God, I’m a moron. I’m—
“Hey, woah,” Nolan said, bringing a hand to my face. “Slow your roll. Come back here to me.”
Finally, I mustered the courage to look him in the eye. His gentle hands on my face grounded me to the present, quieting my anxious mind. A smile warmed his face. “There you are.” He pressed his forehead to mine, breathing deeply. I found myself matching my breaths to his as I calmed down and inhaled his scent. “That’s my girl,” he said.
I glowed.His.I was his. He claimed me too.
Nolan’s lips parted around my fingers as I traced his mouth, his jaw. “I love you, Val. So fucking much—”
A knock at our door had him breaking away with a curse.
“Val? Sorry to interrupt,” came Diego’s muffled voice from outside.
Scrambling out of bed, I threw on a sweatshirt, still reeling from Nolan’s words.He loves me. I love him. Oh my god.But Diego first. When I answered the door, he stood there with a very sleepy Juanito. “What’s wrong?”
“I want us all to sleep in the same room,” said Juanito, hugging his favorite book to his chest. He’d always preferred books to stuffed animals.
When Nolan joined me, pulling on a shirt, Diego mouthed,Sorry.But I waved him off. Making Juanito feel safe was our top priority.
“We’ll have a sleepover and watch some movies,” I suggested, ushering them both inside.
“I’ll go down to the convenience store for some snacks,” Nolan said, clapping Diego on the back as he passed. But the look he gave me over his shoulder had me wishing for justone more minuteof alone time.
Squeezing between my brothers on the couch, I tucked Juanito under my arm and started a Disney movie.
“Hope we weren’t interrupting,” Diego murmured as the cheerful opening music played in the background.
“Not at all,” I assured him. Because now that the drama of the past few months had been put behind us, Nolan and I had all the time in the world to figure things out.
I really liked the sound of that.
Fifteen minutes later, Nolan returned, wielding two plastic bags stuffed with an array of junk food. I raised a brow at the Oreos, gummy worms, and a king-size Twix falling out of the top. “With that amount of sugar,” I said, “there won’t be much sleeping at this sleepover.”
When Nolan gave me a flirty wink, I felt my face heat at the thought ofnot sleepingwith him. Beside me, Diego made a gagging noise andJuanito laughed, even though he didn’t get the joke. “I love Twix!” he said, ripping into the package. “Thanks, Nolan.”
“They’re my favorite too,” Nolan said, snagging a Twix and tapping it to Juanito’s in a little cheers before taking a bite. When Nolan settled on the floor at my feet, resting his broad back between my legs like he belonged there, an overwhelming sense ofrightnessflooded through me.
Because he did belong there.
With me. Withus.
