“What game? I’m laying it all on the line for you, Lacy.”
I push at him, trying to keep him at a distance. “Last night, that’s what game. You acted like you were going to kiss me and then you changed your mind, like I was too available.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s like what you said about the ducks. I was too easy? You didn’t have to work for it. To heck with you, Trent!”
He takes hold of me again when I break loose from him and keeps me from escaping. “That old bat was watching, and I didn’t want you to get a bad review because of me. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about ducks for, but I wish you’d take it easy on me.”
Trent pulls me close and wipes my tears from my cheeks even when I bat his hands away in a last desperate attempt to keep me from allowing myself to feel that I still love him. He pulls me into a passionate kiss that melts me, and I can’t not kiss him back.
Still terrified, I ask him, “Why are you doing this?”
He looks straight into my eyes. “Because I love you. I always have, and I always will.”
The memory of my parents kissing, happy, and vulnerable to each other surfaces, and I know if I want what they have I have to take the chance.
Even though my body is trembling, I want to take that leap and dare to love him again fully. “I just don’t know.”
“But you do, honey. You know how I feel about you. You know that I love you. You just have to let yourself trust me. I’ll never hurt you again, Lacy. I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you and proving to you that you can trust me.”
He kisses my cheek, and I turn my head, wanting his mouth on mine. Our lips mesh as one, and it’s minutes before we finally break apart. For the first time in a long time, I feel love deep inside me. I know I can’t not give him another chance. I’ve loved Trent Keller since I was a little girl, and I’ve never stopped.
“Don’t hurt me, Trent,” I beg him.
“Never. I promise. I love you, Lacy.”
I let myself go. I let my body react to his touch, his kiss, and his sweet whispers of love. “Show me,” I murmur against his mouth.
He doesn’t hesitate. He carries me up the stairs to my room and puts me on my feet next to my bed. He’s looking at me so intently, I wonder what’s going through his head.
“We don’t have to do this now, Lacy. We can wait until you’re sure.”
I blink. “I’m sure.”
But he shakes his head. “No, not sure. I guess I mean, you need to know something before we do this.” He sits down on the edge of the bed and pulls me down beside him. He turns, looking at me, and he’s holding both my hands in his. My heart is racing, wondering what he’s going to say.
“I love you, Lacy. I never stopped loving you. If we do this, you need to know that I’m never letting you go. If you decide tomorrow that you want to leave Forest Grove again, I’ll go with you. Where you go, I go. We are never going to be apart again.”
I raise my eyes to his face. We’ve both been so hurt. By his parents’ death, by decisions we’ve made, we’ve lost so much time. “I’m not leaving Forest Grove. And I’m never leaving you. Even if you push me away, decide you don’t want me anymore, I have no dignity left when it comes to you, Trent Keller. I want us, for as long as you’ll have me, I want to be right by your side.”
He releases my hands and cups my cheeks, forcing me to look at him. He doesn’t have to tell me how he feels because I can see it in his eyes. “I wish I’d never left,” I tell him in sadness.
But he shakes his head. “We can’t change the past. All we can do is take care of our future. Me and you, Lacy.”
And then he kisses me.
It’s the same sweet, thorough kiss that curls my toes and gets my blood pumping through my veins. But it’s different too. More intense. My heart pounds beneath my rib cage as he pulls me toward him until I’m straddling his lap.
His arms are tight around me, holding me against him like he never wants to let me go. I could kiss him all night, but right now, I need more.
I tug at the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head. He releases me only long enough to free his arms, and then he’s touching me again.