Page 89 of Now and Then

The air between us shifts, thick with everything we’ve never said and kept hidden from the other.

Then, she moves.

Sutton grabs my shirt, yanks me toward her, and before I can take my next breath, her lips are on mine. It’s years of pent-up frustration, of missed chances, of heartbreak and longing all crashing into this one moment.

I groan against her mouth, my hands gripping her waist as she pulls me closer, her legs tightening against my hips. It’s messy, desperate like she’s trying to make up for all the time we lost. Like she finally understands.

When she breaks away, her forehead presses to mine, both of us panting.

“We wasted so much time.” Her voice trembles.

I cup her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “It wasn’t wasted time. It was time that you and I both needed to heal.”

She nods, something vulnerable and certain in her eyes.

Suddenly, a loud knock shakes the door. Sutton pulls away enough for us to catch our breath. The lingering tension hangs heavy in the air between us.

Before I can speak, Navy calls from the other side of the door. “I don’t know what’s happening in there, but y’all need to hurry up. There’s a line out here.”

Greer’s laughter carries through the door. “Told you they were having a moment.”

Sutton groans. “Kill me now.”

I chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “C’mon, babe. We better get back out there. I can only imagine what the rumor mill will be saying tomorrow.”

She straightens, rolling her eyes as she jumps from the counter, fixing the shirt dress of her backup Halloween costume. “Oh, now you care about rumors?”

I reach for her wrist before she moves too far. “Sutton.”

She looks back at me. Her emerald eyes shimmer with something deeper, drawing me in.

“We’re done wasting time.” My voice is low, steady, filled with resolve as I place my hat gently on her head. “I’m done.”

Her breath catches. A beat passes, and she nods, her expression softening. “Me too.”

“Ready?” I glance at our coordinating backup costumes and can’t help but grin. Mine says Peter Peter and Sutton’s has a jack-o’-lantern. Sutton bites her lip, holding back a laugh, and we open the bathroom door.

Navy and Greer wait on the other side with massive smiles.

“Nice of you to rejoin the party,” Navy teases, eyebrows raised practically to her hairline.

“Everything good?” Greer reaches forward to clasp Sutton’s hand in hers.

Sutton responds with a reassuring smile, her hand reaching back to grab mine. “It’s great.”

“What the hell?” Luke booms from the end of the hallway.

We all turn, confusion clouding our expressions.

“Shit is not fair,” he gestures toward Hunter and my costumes and rolls his eyes. He storms off toward the kitchen.

“Um, what was that about?” Sutton’s eyebrows knit together.

Greer can barely hold back her laugh. “I think you underestimated just how much he wants to win best costume.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “He’s mad about a costume?”

Greer’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Oh, he’s definitely mad, especially now with your switcheroo.”