“Hold on.” Blake’s smile was mischievous as he tightened his hold around my bottom and got to his feet, taking off in a small sprint.
“Where are we going?” I hugged myself to his chest to stop from jostling too much.
“Round two.” Blake’s smile widened further before he slanted to the side and free-fell with me in his arms, my half-screech muted by the rush of water over my head. When we resurfaced, we were both laughing and trying to catch our breaths.
Finding his footing, Blake stood in the pool, my legs still wound tightly around his waist as his hands found the sides of my face. I wondered what he was thinking as he drew in each of my features, his gaze drifting about. I stared at his eyes, glistening a glittering blue as the sun and the reflection of the water danced amongst them, and I thought I’d never seen anything more magnificent.
“I love—”
“Marry me, Angel.” Blake’s words swallowed mine, making them insignificant.
I couldn’t answer, though, because they stole my breath.
“I know we’re crazy, young. It doesn’t have to be today or tomorrow. I don’t know when, and I didn’t even plan to ask, but I know it’s what I want.” His breaths evened out as calm washed over him. You would imagine the opposite happening with such a declaration, but the release of it seemed to provide him with solace more than anything.
When my tongue stayed silent, and my stare remained stunned, he continued. “Nothing functions right unless you’re by my side. When you’re gone, I wonder when you’ll be back and when you’re here, I wonder how I can get you closer.” He brushed the pads of his thumbs along my cheekbones, still cradling my face. “Marry me. One day—every day. Make me the happiest man alive. You make me whole. You’re my air and my sun. My—”
“Yes,” I answered without thought. “A million times, yes.” My words were soft despite the banging in my chest. I’d never been more certain of anything in my life, though, and I harbored no fear about tying myself to him for eternity. I’d do it today if he really wanted to.
Blake’s head dipped lower, a question in his mesmerizing eyes. “Yes? You’ll be my wife?”
“Yes. I’ll be your everything. Your wife, your best friend, your air, your heart. You’re already all of those things for me. My soul already married you the day it met you.”
Blake took my lips in his. I felt his smile suck me up before he started peppering kisses on my face. “I love you, Angel. I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world. I’ll love you forever and ever and take care of you.” He continued to sprinkle promises around my face, but his words began to melt into one another as what he was saying really began to settle in.
I would never be alone again.
I would never have to be afraid. No matter what, I’d have him by my side. But, before I could allow him to fully solidify that promise, we needed no secrets between us.
“Blake—” I spoke between his kisses.
“Yeah.” He still roamed my neck and jaw.
“You need to read the journal.”
Suddenly, they stopped.
THE HEAT OF Blake’s kisses still lingered on my chilled, wet skin. Blinking, he stared at me. Though behind his wordless lips that still lingered in a small pucker, I saw the faintest hint of fright.
I covered the hands that still cradled my face with my own and smiled reassuringly. “You have every nook and cranny of me. You own each piece, forever and always, but I need you to know exactly what has made up each and every one of those pieces.”
Blake’s breathing faltered, and his shoulders lost their sharpness.
“It doesn’t have to be today, and it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but I know it’s what I want.” I fed him back his same words. The fact that I meant them was a true eye-opener.
“I’m ready,” he admitted. “I just wasn’t expecting that. I only wanted to have some us time, before the weight of that book sat on top of us. But it’s time to put it all behind so we can throw it away and build our life free of it.” Blake placed a soft kiss on my lips. “I will love every piece of you until I take my last breath, Angel, and I’ll never stop taking care of you.”
“Thank you.” I rested my forehead against his, and we both closed our eyes. You seemed to draw more of the person under your skin when your eyes were closed to other distractions. “Thank you for the unconditional love you give me. For loving my scars and my ugly.”
Our eyes met, but our foreheads remained touching. “There’s no ugly in you. Only beauty.” He skimmed his fingers down my arm. “I’m going to spend every day for the rest of my life making sure you’re fine. I promise.”
My lips silenced his as my heart ballooned to near-exploding. There was nothing else I needed, and I wasn’t nervous for him to read the one piece of my insides that I had always held so guarded. Blake was my home. I had no doubts that, no matter how he reacted to the truth once he knew, he would never leave me. We would be okay.
A contented fulfillment immersed me.
So this is what it’s like.
I was finally whole—without doubt and without regret. I was ready to fully own my past, no matter what that meant, and march toward my future knowing I was a strong and recovered individual, as well as half of an iron-clad couple. Nothing could come between Blake and me, I was sure of it, and knowing that seemed to build a new set of walls around me. But rather than keeping people out, they were put there to hold the two of us in. Together we would build our own fortress, our own unbreakable city where nothing else mattered but him and me. I wasn’t sure when the shift had taken place, but the world seemed to tilt on its axis and slip us both into a different realm.
We each slid a palm over the other’s heart, absorbing the rhythm beneath them.
My beat met his bang, his bounce answering my thump as we created silent music together, mingled only with the soft lapping of the water around us. Our heart rates sped up simultaneously, each of us sharing the same thoughts of how overwhelming the sensation of this was. The suffocating feeling of being so swollen with love, so filled with the other person that you thought you would explode somehow if you didn’t find some form of relief from it, but at the same time, wanting to squish even more of them inside of you.
“I feel it, too,” Blake said, his eyes gentle as his lips parted as though breathing were a task. His finger tapped my chest each time a beat took flight.
When his lips met mine, they seemed like they were trying to tell me something. Soft and gentle, he dipped in and out of my mouth, placing light kisses with plump caresses, letting me know we had all the time in the world to enjoy each other now. He tasted like chlorine and sunshine and that sweetness only he had. With each light brush, I fell into him further. At this point, I’d fallen so deeply into him that I didn’t care if I never found my way out.
Fall into me.
Words that he had spoken so many months ago.
The rest of the world disappeared in a blanket of watery, tender kisses and silent beating promises of finally being able to breathe with breath that didn’t hurt.
BLAKE
WHERE DID THAT come from?
I had never planned to ask Angel to marry me, but no words had ever felt more right leaving my mouth. I didn’t care how young we were or how short a time we’d been together. None of that mattered. The thought of spending another day without her could buckle my knees. I needed for her to know that wasn’t an option anymore. She was my everything all rolled up into a tiny little green-eyed goddess package. I wanted to swallow her fears and comfort her hurts. I wanted to share in each of her joys and kiss away all of her tears. Build her up when she felt like tearing herself down. There was nothing that could separate us anymore, and the confidence I held in that fact made me feel like I could stand as tall as the highest building.
I was going to be her everything. Be the man who would make her proud. Nurture her. Protect her.
My heart knocked on my chest. It was time to find out what she had been de
aling with. I couldn’t be scared of it anymore. It wouldn’t ruin us, it would free us. Break the final chains that kept that small piece of us apart. Whatever it was, I would figure out how to fix it for her once and for all. One final weekend of bliss and then we would tackle the demons head-on.
Her journal felt like butter underneath my fingertips. Though, when you caught the edges just right, there were parts that were so worn they could cut you if you hit them at the right angle. I picked my nail over a slice in the far right corner, thinking about what this book held inside. Just holding it rocketed a piece of heartache through me. The weight of her sorrows tucked inside it was unmistakable. I knew she had given it to me to read at my leisure, but I wouldn’t look inside without her next to me. It felt like a violation.
We’ll read this together when everyone leaves tomorrow.
“KNOCK, KNOCK!” JESSIE’S voice echoed through the foyer.
“In the kitchen!” I called back.
“Is Blake serious with this house?” Jessie squealed. “He never said he was royalty.”
“He’s not royalty.” I laughed, rolling my eyes. “This is what you get when you sell your soul to the devil.”
Her eyes continued to roam. “Well, he can have mine, too, because this is gorgeous.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Blake walked in, his body tilted in an incline carrying a case of beer. The bottles clanked with his strides, knocking off his thick thighs as his biceps stretched the material of his black T-shirt. He set it down next to the fridge. “Angel would rather live in a cabin of sweet music and heartfelt photographs, though. We’ll be dirt poor and rich in love.” With a crooked grin, he bent to line the bottles on the bottom shelf.
A playful grin met my face as well. “Sounds perfect.” I swatted his round ass, the sound of glass ricocheting off one another ringing out.
Blake steadied them quickly, jumped up, and grabbed his behind. “You’re assaulting me again?” The effect was just as cute as the first time I had done it.
I stifled a giggle, pointing. “I own that ass now. Consider it never safe.”
Blake scowled, tucking a couple of bottles to his chest, and turned to unload them, blinking like an innocent fawn, peeking back over his shoulder to be sure I wasn’t too close.
“Idiot.” I laughed before turning back to Jessie. “Did you drive up alone?”
“Nah, Sandra and Jeremy are bringing all the stuff in.” Her face puckered. “They’re so sweet to each other they make my teeth ache.”
“Don’t be bitter.” Sandra’s voice came from the doorway.
“Oh, there’s Miss Sugarcane herself,” Jessie mocked.
“You love me.” Sandra batted her eyelashes before tucking her auburn curls behind her ear. “Fancy quarters.” She smiled at Blake, who was bending to kiss her cheek.
“Thanks.” Blake reached behind her to slap Jeremy’s hand. “Hey, bro. Glad you guys could make it.”
“Course,” Jeremy replied. “Thanks for inviting us.” Jeremy was on the shorter side and clean cut for an artist. And Sandra loved him madly.
Blake went back to his task. “Go pick your rooms, guys. Consider everything here yours and make yourselves at home.”
Victoria danced into the room. Always full of life, she beamed at their guests, sticking out her hand to each of them. “Hey, guys. I’m Tori. Don’t let them convince you to call me Victoria.” She hopped onto the kitchen island and snagged a peach before taking a big bite. Peaches, grapes, and oranges. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a fruit bowl in someone’s house that didn’t contain apples. But, ever since the incident in the cafeteria when the apple had freaked me out, Blake never had another one around, which made me realize it was most likely on purpose that his bowl lacked their presence.
Will we always revolve our lives around my past?
Either way, I loved him more for the effort.
Jessie bounced over to Tori, her matched spunkiness making me realize they were the perfect pair. I didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me sooner to introduce them. “Hi! I’m Jessie. You can call me Jessie.” Her smile practically reached her ears.
“How cute you are with your curly hair. I wish my hair was curly. It just lays there.” Victoria fingered her own gorgeous strands.
“You’re kidding me, right?” The corner of Jessie’s lip turned up like she was disgusted. “You have, like, silk-head. I’d die for your hair. Here’s what I can do with this. This . . .” She pointed to the current style of her hair, which was just fluffy curls. “Or a frazzled ponytail. That’s it, sista.”
“Well, I love it.” Victoria took another healthy bite.
“Jace not coming?” I looked at the crew.
Sandra began to answer. “Nope, he said he had pl—”
“Don’t you bitches be talkin’ about me.” The front door banged off the wall, revealing Jace in rose-gold Michael Kors aviator sunglasses. His hair was slicked back, and a bag hung from his crooked elbow. On the other elbow, he was wearing . . . Drew?
“This stud offered to ride me—I mean, give me a ride,” he corrected with a grin, “although that still sounds fun.” Jace smirked at his own joke, while Drew looked mortified and out of his element around my eccentric accomplice.
“Do you know how long of a car ride it is from Manhattan to the Hamptons? Anyone?” Drew polled us. Judging by his disheveled hair and the stoned look in his eyes, he had clearly been Jace-ized.
Poor guy.
“Don’t play like you didn’t love every second of it, honey.” Jace rolled his eyes as they made their way further into the kitchen.
“I’ll never be the same,” Drew mumbled more to himself. He shivered, and I laughed, imagining what he’d had to endure in that car. Jace made his rounds, double-kissing cheeks while popping his leg back in the air. And Victoria . . .
Victoria slid slowly down the edge of the counter, her eyes fixated on Drew as though a god had entered the room.
Drew addressed Blake first, reaching a fist out to give him a pound. “Thanks for the invite, man. Nice place.”
“Anytime.” Blake returned the gesture with a warm smile.
Drew rolled his neck around, cracking it, walking toward me. “Hello.”
“Hey.” I rose to my toes and kissed his cheek. “You okay?”
“Not yet.” He chuckled, glancing around before his eyes snagged to my right where Victoria was now standing, her stare trained on his hazel eyes. She rocked to her left into my arm, nudging me to introduce them. Drew’s jaw tightened, his muscles bulging as his grip cinched his bag.
I looked back and forth between them.
“Um, Drew, this is Victoria.”
“Tori.” Victoria’s hand stretched forward.
Drew’s gaze fell to it before he slipped his palm into hers. “Drew.”
I saw it—the hitch in Victoria’s breathing, the lapse in rhythm as her cheeks reddened before her eyes skirted away from his. She pulled her hand away and scraped it along her thighs.
Within moments, Blake was at our sides, his shoulders sharp and straight. He looked back and forth between them as Victoria took a few steps back.
“Victoria,” Blake annunciated, “is my kid sister.”
Drew’s shoulders rounded out as if he were a kid who had just gotten all his candy stolen. “She’s charming,” he croaked out.
Victoria put her hand on Blake’s shoulder, and I caught him wince as she squeezed. “Thanks for clearing that up, brother. You can be on your way now.”
“Don’t get cute, Tori,” Blake warned.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to enjoy your girlfriend? Go. Enjoy.” She swatted her hands at Blake, shooing him along.
“Oh, boy,” I muttered. I saw the look in her eye, and if I wasn’t mistaken, my handsome personal trainer was returning it in ten-fold.
The door opened, and the direction of attention shifted once again as Eric stood before us, beaming. “Now, the party can start.”
Blake smiled,
seeming relieved as though back-up had arrived. “What’s up?” He slapped Eric’s hand and pulled him in for the customary bro hug.
“Not a thang, not a thang. Been looking forward to this for weeks. I need to unload.”
“I thought Brayden was riding with you.” Blake looked toward the door.
“He backed out. Said something came up with Casey and he would catch up with you another time.” Eric looked around. “Beer?”
“In the fridge,” Blake responded, thumbing behind himself. “Help yourself.”
“You know I will.” Eric stopped to give me a kiss hello before pulling back the refrigerator door.
“You guys trying to kill me?” Jace fanned himself. “All this hot in one room—it’s like sitting on the freaking sun. Anyone else coming? Brad Pitt? Kostas?”
“You love you some Kostas Martakis, don’t you?” I laughed.
“I do. I really do,” Jace replied, wetting his lips.
“You don’t even know what he’s saying,” I said. Kostas Martakis was a Greek singer who, as far as I knew, barely spoke English.
“I don’t need to, honey. Those hips move in a universal language.” Jace mimicked a hip roll. When he realized all eyes were on him, including Blake, Drew, and Eric’s, he smirked. “Uh-huh. It’s confusing, isn’t it?” He waggled his eyebrows, and all the guys turned to start talking to one another to hide the blush to their cheeks.
“Eric needs no introductions,” I stated before turning to Victoria. “Tori, why don’t you show Drew to a room.” I looked at my other friends. “I’ll bring you guys up. Try not to get lost. This place is huge.”
“Tori, don’t give him my room!” Eric called after us, popping a cube of cheese into his mouth. Tori tucked her hair behind her ear and motioned to Drew that he should follow her. I was in shock. I didn’t think I had ever seen either one of them with nothing to say.
“Well, isn’t this an odd turn of events?” Jace spoke close to my ear as we walked up the stairs. Sandra, Jeremy, and Jessie were close at our heels.
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