He smoothed my hair behind my ear and swallowed thickly.
“I’ve always loved you, but now it’s a new kind of love, one I never knew I could feel so strongly or that could come so soon, but I should’ve known. You’ve always been a bulldozer, you never do anything ha
lfway, so why should falling in love with you be any different?”
I gaped at him, at a loss for words, which was rare for me.
“You don’t have to say it back,” he whispered, smoothing his fingers down my cheek.
I stared at him for a moment longer, trying to form a coherent thought. Finally, I said, “I know I don’t have to, but I…I think I want to.” His face brightened as I stretched up and whispered in his ear, “I love you too.”
His arms wound around me and he held me tight, like he never wanted to let go.
And I hoped he never did.
Dean
I didn’t mean to fall in love with Willow so fast, but I did. I should’ve expected it, considering we never did anything half-assed.
I hadn’t meant to lay it all out like that, but suddenly the words were there, on the tip of my tongue, and I couldn’t swallow them.
I held her to me now, wanting to keep her close after the words we exchanged, but I knew it was getting late and we needed to find a hotel.
Even still, I wasn’t quite ready to let this moment end.
I let go of Willow and she sat up.
I hopped off the trunk of the car and put my guitar away.
Willow still sat on the trunk and I held out my hand to her.
“Dance with me?” I bowed dramatically and she giggled.
She took my hand and nodded.
I helped her off the trunk and into my arms.
There was no music, but we didn’t need it.
I took both her hands in mine and stepped back so there was a large gap between us.
She laughed when I pulled her forward so that we were chest to chest. We swayed awkwardly like two kids at a middle school dance, but I loved it and couldn’t keep the goofy smile off my lips.
This girl.
She loved me.
I loved her.
And that was that.
***
I was getting used to waking up with Willow sprawled across me like some sort of slime monster.
I needed to get out of bed, but she had an arm and leg thrown across my body and her head was snuggled into the spot where my neck met my shoulders.
As slowly as I could I slid out from underneath her so I could shower and pack my bag.