Page 128 of When There Was You
He rakes a hand violently through his hair. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Whatdoyou mean?” I cross my arms.
“He’s told me very little about all this when it directly impacts my life, my livelihood, my time, and now my girlfriend.”
I soften at his words but remain stern. “You don’t want me to help your dad then?”
“I don’t fucking know.” He steers the Barracuda down his driveway and pauses halfway with his foot on the brake, spearing me with a gaze blazing with intensity. “What I want is more of you, as much of you as I can get, every goddamn fucking day.”
My heart melts. Butch’s love is ferocious, and he’s not afraid to own it or display it. I unbuckle my seatbelt and finagle my way onto his lap—not the easiest feat since the man is massive and the car…not.
“What are you?—”
My lips collide with his, my tongue running along the seam and demanding entry. The kiss says everything:I love you, I want you, I need you, I’m yours.
He responds, gripping the sides of my face. His tongue ravages mine, taking what I’m offering.
We part, our foreheads touching as our collective breath mingles.
“I love you, Butch.”
“I love you more.”
“We’ll work all this out, I promise.”
His head dips wearily. I climb back into my seat, and he drives to the house. Emmy’s waiting on the porch then breaks into a run toward her father, worry creasing her features. He hurries out of the car, and I fly out my own side in time to witness her clutch his body.
“Hey, you okay?” he says. “What’s wrong?”
Emmy nods, solemn. “I needed to love you.”
Butch chuckles and hefts her into his arms. “I thought something terrible had happened.”
“Love withdrawalisterrible.”
Be still my heart.And damn if these two haven’t stolen mine.
Sixty-Two
“Will you go to prom with me?”
I pull the phone away from my ear and briefly inspect it. I must have misheard because it sounded a hell of a lot like a…prom invite. Only we’re grown-ass adults, long out of high school, so that’s impossible.
“Come again?”
“I said, Jacqueline Hall, will you go to prom with me?”
A chuckle bubbles forth. “I don’t understand.”
“You need me to explain prom?” Butch says.
“Okay smartass, yes, I do, since I graduated from high school in 1981 and it’s now 1988. Unless this is aBack to the Futurekind of situation. Do you have a DeLorean time machine with a flux capacitor?”
“Better.”
“Really?”
“I’ve got a badass car, a hot fucking date that I’m betting is a sure thing?—”
