Page 102 of Irresistibly Us
“They would be insane not to.” Emmy shakes her head. “You’re brilliant.”
Caitlin doesn’t say anything else, just studies Sophie with those serious gray eyes of hers.
“Maybe,” Sophie says with a sigh, sinking deeper into my chest. “I mean, yeah, I am brilliant.” She laughs a little, dropping her head back on my shoulder. “But I can do brilliant things here. I am doing brilliant things here. I don’t know if I want to leave that. Or any of you,” she says, a slight waver in her voice as her hands tighten on mine.
Maddy reaches over again and tugs one of Sophie’s hands out of mine. “Learn to share, baby Ty Ty,” she says with a grin. Sophie laughs, the tension draining out of her body, and I can see from Maddy’s face that was exactly what she was hoping for. “Soph, we’re family no matter where you are. If they offer you the job and you don’t want to take it, then we’re on your side, and we’ll all be thrilled you’re staying. But if you decide to go, tell your dad to make sure the house he forces on you because he can’t help himself has a million guest rooms because you won’t be able to keep us away.”
“She’s right,” Emmy says, eyes fierce. “We’re family, Soph.”
“Talk to us.” Caitlin’s voice is low but authoritative. “Promiseme, Sophie. Promise us. No matter what you decide, you talk to us. We’re on your side, always and no matter what.”
Sophie opens her mouth to respond but is interrupted by the doorbell. Drew gets up to get the tacos, and then it’s a mad rush of unpacking takeout bags and pouring more drinks and settling in for a night of food and family. Of smiles and laughs and stories and squabbles. Everything I could ever want, all in one place.
And the girl I love more than life, want more than my next breath, right at its center.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
TYLER
“Goddammit, I thought they would never leave,” I say, walking out onto my back patio and closing the sliding glass door behind me. It’s a perfect night, the air just a little chilly over a hint of spring, the sky dark and full of stars, Sophie and me and so many hours until morning.
Sophie turns to me from her place on the outdoor couch situated in front of the roaring firepit, and my breath catches in my chest. The bright green of her sweater makes her brown eyes glow, and her face is bathed in firelight. Her curls tumble down her back in a golden-brown waterfall, and she is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.
The idea of her moving away from me, of not being able to see her, touch her, hold her, makes my chest ache so badly I have to curl my hands into fists to keep from rubbing the spot over my heart. I know she feels it too because her eyes are just the tiniest bit sad, her smile smaller than it should be. Her smile fell like that a few times tonight as we had dinner with our friends, and I hated it every time.
Sophie should always be smiling big.
In four strides, I’m in front of the couch, setting the Dr Pepper I brought out on the side table and taking the spot next to Sophie. She lifts the blanket she’s sitting under, and I slide closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and laying a hand on her face, turning her to me.
“Talk to me, Sal,” I say, rubbing a thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. “Tell me anything. Everything.”
Sophie sighs, leaning into my hand before linking our fingers together and pulling her knees up to her chest. “I guess I didn’t think telling everyone about a hypothetical job I may or may not be offered and a move I may not even make would hit so hard.”
“You did that a lot today,” I guess, thinking of her spending the afternoon with her dad, Liv, and Brian.
She nods. “I told my dad and it was fine, but I wasn’t prepared for everyone here. I thought we were going to your parents, and I figured that would be all about how you finally figured out how much you love me.” She grins at me, and I bring her hand to my mouth, kissing her knuckles and smiling at the pretty flush that pinkens her cheeks. “It was different, though, telling all my most important people that in a few months I might not be living here. Saying it out loud.”
Her voice cracks on the last word, and my heart cracks right along with it. Never in my entire life have I ever wished for a different job than the one I have. I love playing football. Being a Renegade, just like my dad was. Stepping out onto the field every week during the season with Drew and Cam. The rest of my teammates. Seeing Maddy and Brian on the sidelines and my family in the stands. Sophie in the stands, wearing my name and number on her back.
It’s all I’ve ever wanted.
Even in the offseason, I count the minutes until football is back. I love it so much.
But now I know what it feels like to love something more. To want something more. And I have a contract that tells me I’m stuck right here. I can’t tell Sophie I’ll go with her to Californiaif that’s where she decides to be. That we can build a life anywhere because all that matters is us doing it together. If she decides to go, I still have to stay. There aren’t words for how much I hate that, but I set those feelings aside because this isn’t about me. This is about her, and I want her to do everything. To have everything she wants. Even if having everything means she has it thousands of miles away from me.
Leaning in, I press a soft kiss to her lips. “You know it’s going to be okay, right? Whatever you decide.”
“Is it?” she asks, giving a small laugh. “My entire life is right here, and we just got started. It feels crazy to even consider walking away from that.”
I smile, squeezing her finger with mine when her eyes stray to the fire, staring at it like she might find her answers somewhere in its depths. “It’s not crazy to follow your dreams. To take a risk and do something big and maybe a little scary. This will always be your home. Your safe place to land.” I reach over with my free hand and tuck a curl behind her ear, waiting until she’s looking back at me before I say this next thing. “Iwill always be your safe place to land. There is no place on earth you could go, no amount of time you could be away from me, that would make that less true. You wouldn’t be walking away from me becauseI love youmeans always. Forever. It might have taken me some time to catch up, but now that I’m here, this is where I’ll always be. You can dream and fly and do big, important things with your brilliant, beautiful brain and I’ll never stop being here, loving you, cheering you on, and waiting for you to come back home. You’re it for me, Soph. My family, my best friend, the love of my damn life. And no matter what happens, what you decide, where you go, I’ll always be right here by your side.”
Sophie takes a shaky breath, even as her lips tip up in the sweetest smile. “God, I love you. I thought I knew what it would be like if we ever finally got together, but it’s nothing like I imagined.”
“In a good way?” I ask, palming her calf over the blanket and running my thumb back and forth.
She covers my hand with hers. “In the best way.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “There’s something else though.”
I knew there was, but I was waiting for her to bring it up, appreciating that she didn’t share it with everyone. That she was waiting to give it to me first. “What happened at the interview today, Soph?”
