Page 63 of Riding the Curve
Threading his fingers through my hair, he gently angles my head upwards. His lips hover just above mine. Swallowing deeply, he closes the last inch of space left between us. My entire body tingles with anticipation.
Smooth lips brush lightly over my nose. A featherlight touch of adoration. They travel upward at a painfully slow pace. Brushing against the smooth surface of my forehead and finally pressing against my hair on the crown of my head. Whispering into my locks, the question I’ve been waiting to hear for years breaks free. “ I know you feel this pull between us too, Hen. What would you say about giving this another shot?”
A thousand times, yes.
At least, that’s what I wanted to say. Every muscle tenses as I try to speak the words into existence. But my stubborn brain reminds me of all the times my heart was torn wide open. Reminds me of all the unknowns of our futures still left hanging up in the air. Before I leap into this like I desperately want to, I need time. A moment to think things through.
Unlocking my arms from around him, I take a step back. Peering up, I see concern crinkling his forehead, anxiety forcing his jaw to clench tightly.
“I need some time to think about it.”
His eyelids flutter closed, his shoulders sagging under the weight of my answer. Wiping his palm over his face, he erases his expression and does his best to replace it with a smile.
“Take all the time you need.”
An awkward silence passes between us. I twist the ends of my hair through my fingers, letting it calm me like it usually does. Thankfully, Emerson breaks the silence, freeing us both.
“How about I put the rest of this away and you get to bed? We have a big day tomorrow.”
“Big day?” I ask.
A genuine smile breaks free this time. “Yep, tomorrow is day one of interior remodel. First step, paint. Sleep tight, because tomorrow I’m going to work you hard, Trouble.”
With a wink, he sweeps behind me, collecting a stack of pots and pans and heading toward the outdoor storage cabinets.
“Hey, Em?”
Pausing, he turns to face me, and suddenly the nerves hit me all over again.
“It wasn’t a no.”
His head drops, a hint of a smirk tickling his lips. “I know, Trouble. There are things I’ve done in our past that I’m not proud of. But, if you give me another chance, I’ll show you that I can be worthy of your heart. Just like I told you all those years ago.”
The memory of the night in the grass blooms in my mind, causing my heart to pinch inside my chest. The night I was willing to hand over my heart to him entirely if he would have just given me a chance.
“We can talk more about it tomorrow, okay?”
I nod, watching him walk away, taking a little piece of my heart he’s always had along with him.
“You said you had to think about it?” Harper screeches into the phone. “Ah, how the tables have turned. First Em gets cold feet, now you!”
Groaning back into the phone, I ask, “What was I thinking?”
Her soft chuckles whisper through the line. “You were thinking you didn’t want to get hurt again, which is completely understandable. I’m proud of you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re allowing yourself time. Time to get to know this adult version of Em, and for him to learn who you are as well. Seven years is a lot of time, and although you both have a long history, it’ll be good for you to get to know the parts of each other you’ve missed along the way. It’ll also give you both time to talk about the future.”
“What if he changes his mind again? Or what if he realizes that maybe he shouldn’t have said anything in the first place?”
“Babe, I feel that this time around is going to be different. Take the rest of the week off from the bakery and spend time working with that hottie with a body,” she snorts.
“I can’t leave you without help, I can—”
“Nope,” she says firmly, cutting me off. “You take one step in the bakery this week and I’ll kick you right out.”
“Please?” I plead into the phone. “I love being in the bakery with you, it’s been helping me regain my confidence. I can’t imagine going a whole week without it.”
