Page 60 of The Time It Takes
Colleen smiled softly, wiping at her eyes in a way that kept her mascara intact. “That was stunning, Willow Grace,” she croaked. Clearing her throat, she added, “They’d be idiots to not accept you.”
“Mom,” Oliver breathed with an exasperated laugh, shaking his head.
“What? It’s true!” Her hands flew up in emphasis.
A smile broke free on my face. “Thank you.”
Beau stepped in front of me, awe shining in his eyes. Before I knew what he was doing I was being wrapped in his arms. He squeezed me tightly before murmuring into the top of my head, “I could listen to you play at all hours and never get bored.”
When he pulled away, I glanced up at him with the same awe he was looking at me with.
Oliver might be lucky to have him as a father, but I was just as lucky. He’d been a part of my life for as long as I could remember. He’d always welcomed me and all my strangeness with open arms. I loved his parents like they were my own. Spending time with them meant the world to me and I’d never take it for granted.
“Don’t start lying to me now.” I punched him gently in the arm with a smirk.
He pressed a hand to his heart. “Not in a million years. I want to be the first one to get my hands on your album, Willow. Promise?”
I swallowed roughly. “I promise.” My heart ached with so much love and compassion that it could have burst.
Later, Colleen mentioned watching a movie, and Oliver and I exchanged a look, agreeing. For the next two hours, we all sat in the living room, mostly talking over the movie. I didn’t mind it though. I enjoyed the company.
I wished Ben had something like this. I wanted him to remember what this felt like, but I wondered if it would only make him sad.
I was beginning to think that he and Sadie were becoming serious. Despite my initial thought upon meeting her, I was starting to support it. She’d been over a few times and neither of those times had she seemed impaired. If she made him happy then I could get behind it. If I did get accepted to Juilliard, then I didn’t want to leave him entirely alone. I made a mental note to mention it later and make sure he was still doing okay. And possibly dig through his dresser drawers when he was at work.
When the movie ended, Colleen and Beau headed off to bed. Oliver silently took my hand and led me upstairs to his room, shutting off the lights as we went. His house was huge, and I couldn’t even count the number of times I’d gotten lost inside it when we were kids.
He closed the door behind us as we entered his bedroom. I knew we were both too tired to read at that point, so I walked over to his bed and fell onto my back.
I let out a prolonged sigh and he laughed, joining me. My body bounced at the impact as I shimmied myself under his soft, silky comforter. I pulled it up to my nose and inhaled.
Oliver lifted onto his elbow, narrowing his eyes. “Did you just smell that?”
I nodded. “It smells good.”
“What does it smell like?” he asked, bringing his nose to it himself.
I shoved his forehead with my index finger and his head fell back dramatically. “You.”
His eyes danced when they landed on me again. His playful grin made my blood erupt with awareness of the amount of love I carried just for him.
“Why are you so obsessed with the way I smell?”
I shrugged. “Why aren’tyouobsessed with the wayIsmell?” I challenged.
He hummed as his eyes rolled down my body hidden beneath his covers. Quick as a thief, he dipped his head into the curve of my neck and inhaled obnoxiously. The brush of his nose tickled, and I laughed as I pushed him away.
“Get away, you creep!”
His mouth fell open. “I’mthe creep?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re the one who hoards all my shirts just to sniff them.”
A giddy laugh erupted out of me, and I had to bite the bottom of my lip to hold it in. “I like your pheromones, so what?”
He fell onto his back beside me, but he turned his head to face me. “You don’t smell bad either.”
I rotated onto my shoulder to stare at him, tucking my hand under my cheek. Everything about him made my body feel like it was going to come undone at any moment. He was everything I wanted but didn’t know how to grab. If I kissed him right now, I could ruin everything we’d built between us. Walls would come crumbling down and what if it didn’t work out?
I was comfortable with him like this. I knew how to act. I knew what to say. I was scared that loving him differently meant it’d change things. I liked our love the way it was, but was I up for a lifetime of always wanting more?
