Forgotten Rules (Rules 4)

He steps closer.

I let him.

“I want your control freak tendencies. I want your OCD, your quirks and kinks, your sense of humor. I want your big heart, that infuriating habit you have of bending over backwards to please others.” His fingers graze the outline of my jaw. “I want you, Kass. All of you. No more, no less.”

Sorry, Kass can’t reply at the moment.

She’s busy melting into a puddle.

“And just so you know,” he continues, “last week, when you didn’t answer my texts, I thought I was going to die. Breaking my own fucking leg would’ve been more fun than living without your snarky replies for this long.”

I bite back a chuckle.

“I never had to worry about feeling this way. I never had to worry about feeling anything, really. Because before you…” He’s at a loss for words. “Let’s just say I haven’t let myself care like this in a very long time.”

I’m scared what he really means is…

Not since Lyla.

It bothers me that I still don’t know anything about her. Who is she? His ex? A casual hookup? Looking back, I realize I don’t know much about Will’s life either. I know about his past, his tumultuous, difficult childhood, but I’ve never seen his house, heard about his mom post-homelessness. But damn… it’s so easy to forget all this when he looks at me like that.

His hand leaves my face, descending to my waist, and that simple touch is enough to make my thoughts blurry.

“I want to be with you, Kassidy Kingston. It scares me shitless. But it’s true.”

My brain rejects the information.

Rebooting the computer.

Please hold.

Did he just say what I think he just said?

He shakes his head. “Shit, why the hell do people put themselves through this? I can’t believe they haven’t banned feelings yet.”

A laugh escapes me.

I want to cry, kiss him, and punch him all at once. He’s put me through so much, but now that he’s pouring his heart out, I’m right back to square one.

“Please say something.” I love how desperate he is.

How the tables have turned.

“Let me get this straight. You believe in relationships now?”

He hesitates.

“No.”

Was he messing with me?

“But I believe in being with you.”

Pretty sure my smile takes up my whole face.

“So… Does that mean you’re my boyfriend?”

“You can call me whatever you want, as long as at the end of the day, you’re mine.”