Page 184 of Just Wait

I don’t know when I released her hair, but I wrap her up in a hug from behind as my chest heaves.

Her hand comes to rest over mine.

She’s so soft compared to me.

“Damn, Mal,” she says, sounding winded.

I kiss the back of her head like a total weirdo. “Yeah.”

Everything about her fits with me perfectly.

I’m so done for.

That thought should scare the hell out of me, but it doesn’t.

Not even a little.

Lumen and I walk into the meet and greet, hand in hand. I’m excited to get this over with so we can commence leaving for vacation, but I stop in my tracks when I spot the couple next to the drink station.

Well, fuck.

To be fair, I did tell them to come find me next year, but a lot has changed.

I grab Lumen by the waist, dragging her back out the door.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, blinking up at me.

Her eyes are so damn bright.

Sometimes they look more blue. Other times they’re more gray.

Right now they’re in the blue phase.

I can’t help myself. Backing her against the wall, I give her a quick kiss. “Just don’t be mad at me, okay?”

She snorts. “God, you are so bad at this.”

I frown because I don’t really know what this is.

Life?

Yeah, probably.

“You shouldn’t lead with insinuating someone is going to be upset.” She grips my hips, stretching up to kiss my cheek. “Okay, lay it on me.”

I tug her toward the door while hiding behind her as much as possible and point to the far wall. “You see that couple?”

“Yeah, why?” she asks, peeking at me over her shoulder.

“Ehh, I’ve hooked up with them two out of the last three years that we’ve been in Roanoke.”

Her forehead wrinkles. “Okay.”

Jesus.

She’s looking at me like she has no idea why I’m telling her this, and I begin to worry that I made the wrong call by being forthcoming.

No.