Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Glad you did.” It feels like a moment to catch our breath and reconnect, like we’re in our own little bubble in the shade of the tent. And it feels perfect. He’s perfect. Like everything has aligned to bring us to this moment.
We’re both facing the same set of prints with me in the shots. I motion in the general direction. “How did you decide…which to display?”
“Well, June and Johnny helped. But when it came to the ones of you…” I tremble when he brushes his lips across that tender spot on my shoulder. Reserved only for him. “To be honest, having them here made me feel closer to you. I won’t sell those shots, but June says they give perspective to potential customers. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is. You asked, and I agreed. I didn’t know how seeing them all like this would make me feel.” I look at him. “All the memories we made, despite being in each other’s lives for only a few months. But if we string all the moments together, I suppose it’s long enough.”
“Long enough for what?” he murmurs.
“To…care, Jack.” To love. “To really think and feel and care.”
“I’ll have to agree,” he replies against my ear. “Looking through all the prints made me realize how much having you here meant to me. How every single one of those strung-together moments made me feel…and care very deeply.”
My heart pounds in my chest.
30
JACK
I can’t really explain how I feel with Aaron being here. My chest is achy, and I don’t want to let him go. As I cup his jaw, I slide my mouth along his neck and feel his ragged pulse against my lips.
“I haven’t allowed myself to hope for anything since the accident,” I whisper against his hair, and I’m glad he’s not looking at me right now. “But then you materialized, so it manifested after all.”
“Jack,” he sighs, resting his head against my chest. “I didn’t even know I was wishing for someone like you until I almost ran out of gas on the highway.”
My arms tighten around him, my pulse unsteady.
“Your prints are gorgeous. I hope you sell a ton today. I love the different exposures you used. They’re striking yet understated, and at the same time, the whole display feels like it was made just for me.”
I inhale sharply at how close to the truth he comes. I had no idea he would show up this weekend, but surrounding myself with the memories we made was gratifying.
“I needed to come see you,” Aaron says, and I hold my breath as he turns his searching gaze to mine. “My life doesn’t feel the same anymore. I don’t want to go another day without making sure you know how I feel about you.”
I push a stray strand of hair from his forehead. “I suppose Beth would call us a foregone conclusion.”
“What do you mean?”
“That we’re inevitable.” I hitch a shoulder. “That it would be impossible for us to part ways.”
Aaron’s eyes soften. “It’s true. And it’s okay if we’re not always on the same page or if you don’t feel exactly the same…but I can’t hold it in anymore. I’m in love with you.”
My heart vibrates. “Of course I feel the same. Did you happen to see the art I have displayed?”
Aaron quirks a grin. “It is pretty incredible, and not just because I’m in it.”
I huff out a laugh, relief coursing through me. “I don’t know how this works or if it will. I’m fucking scared.”
“I’m scared too, Jack, but all we can do is have faith and keep being honest with each other.”
I nod and cup his cheek. “Apparently, my fear hasn’t stopped me from falling in love with you or wanting to be with you.”
He inhales sharply at my declaration, and it feels so fucking good to finally put it out there. Not only for me but for him. Aaron deserves the world.
“Holy shit, is this real?” His dewy eyes are filled with wonder. “You might have to pinch me, or I’ll think I’m dreaming.”
I peck his lips and grin against his mouth. “I think I was half in love the first time you showed up on the hiking trail wearing those flimsy sneakers.”
His laugh is contagious. “For me, it was you telling me to take my chances on the road if I thought you were scamming me.”
Damn, that feels like a world ago. I pull him into a tight embrace, and we stay that way until we hear someone clear their throat. Shit, I nearly forgot I have art to sell.
“Sorry, don’t want to interrupt.”
When we break apart, I see the resemblance immediately. “You must be Aaron’s mom.”
She smiles. “Call me Isabel. It’s very nice to meet you, Jack.”
Isabel and Aaron share a sweet, secret glance, and I’m curious to know what it means.