our stomachs are growling and we feel weak with the threat of dehydration.
“About work,” I begin when it looks like we may be taking a break long enough to eat something.
The sun has set, darkness filling the air outside the condo.
“No,” she says, her head shaking back and forth. “I don’t even want to think about it right now.”
I frown, pulling bread from the cabinet. I don’t keep much food in the house. I’m the worst cook in the world and eat out nine times out of ten. Hell, I’m hardly ever home, opting to hang out at the office more times than not.
“We’re going to have to talk about it. We also need to discuss your living arrangements.” A frown mars her pretty face before I can continue to speak. “I meant what I said about you staying here.”
She gives me a weak smile. “You have no furniture in that extra room.”
“And I also told you I love you, and that grants you access to my bed.”
“I’m not going to live off of another person. I’ve spent my whole life relying on my parents. I’m not here because I’m searching for a place to stay.”
“And I’m not going to wake every morning without you in my arms.” She huffs, but I can tell by the lightness filling her features that she wants exactly that as well. “If you don’t want to stay here with me, that’s fine. I’ll go where you go.”
She cocks her hip out, right eyebrow raising. “To the Riverview Motel?”
“Absolutely not. That area of town is dangerous. I’d never be able to fall asleep.”
“I don’t want to use you. I don’t want to make you feel like you’re being used.”
I ignore the possibility that it may be a jab for my past actions. If we’re going to move past it, we have to let it lie.
“I don’t see it that way at all. I plan to spend the rest of my life with you, Remi. I want to start that journey now, today. We have too much time wasted between us. I don’t want to miss another second with you.”
She hums, and I don’t know if it’s in approval or in doubt.
“What?”
I step closer to her, armed and ready to defend how I feel and what I want if she starts to backpedal. She said those words to me as well, and I plan to hold her to them.
“You were always so serious when we were in New York. I could never read you. Now you’re saying all these things, and—”
“I’m speaking the truth.”
“Why now?” She brushes her hand down my bare chest before toying with the waistband of my sweats.
I capture her hand, resting it over my heart. It takes the sight of her to get me revved up, and as much as I want to spread her out and spend the rest of the night between her legs, conversations like this are just as important.
“Look at me.” Dark eyelashes flutter before her brilliant green eyes focus on mine. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have walked away from you. What I felt for you terrified me. If I’m being honest, it still does. I haven’t had to worry about anyone but myself my entire life. When I left New York, I tried to convince myself that touching you was the mistake, and it took so long for me to get my head out of my ass to realize that what we shared, the potential of what we can have going forward, could never be a mistake. Leaving, walking away from you was the problem, not how I feel.”
“Flynn.” I press my fingers to her lips.
“Listen to me. I know it’s all words, and like you said earlier, you don’t need my flowery words, but I’m going to prove to you how I feel. I don’t want you at a motel or some shitty apartment. I don’t want you out of my sight. If I could get away with it, I’d bring you to the office and keep you hidden from the guys just so you’re there when I’m missing you.” I palm the side of her face, letting a rogue tear catch on the side of my hand. “Having you here is entirely selfish, not wanting you to struggle with life is selfish. I need to see, to spend time with you. To know that you’re going to be here or close when I get off work. I wouldn’t be doing it entirely for you.