Page 136 of The Finish Line
“You locked it.”
“Yeah?” I stare up in confusion.
“You locked it three times,” he rasps out, emotions swirling in his eyes. “You locked it three times, Trésor. You didn’t even realize it, did you?” He pushes me into the door and presses his forehead to mine before exhaling and looking down at me, swallowing repeatedly.
“Tobias—”
He shakes his head gently, running his nose along mine. “I’m... fuck, Cecelia. I asked you if you thought being happy was possible for me, but that wasn’t fair, and you couldn’t answer that,” he says softly. “But I can. I am. You make me happy.”
The emotion in his voice brings me to fast tears.
“I would get on my knees right now and ask you to marry me if I could.”
Gaping at him, he grips both my hands in his. “Sometimes, I wish I could be as selfish with you now as I was before.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” he says softly. “But I do want to say this, and I never thought I would ever say this.” He exhales a slow breath and peers down at me. “I’m glad that you loved him, and I’m glad he knew what it felt like to be loved by you before he died, and it’s because of the way you love, Cecelia.”
“Tobias—” he captures my lips and kisses me until I’m gasping, then he pulls away. “Nothing above you,” he assures with brief eye contact before he grabs my hand and whisks me toward the limo while my head swims with his confessions. When the driver opens the door, Tyler steps out, a blinding smile on his face as he surveys the two of us.
“Oh my God, you’ve been here the whole time?”
“Hey, beautiful girl,” he says as I leap into his open arms. “What the hell took you two so fucking long?” he asks, his chin digging into my shoulder before he releases me. “I was getting too pissed off to properly surprise you.”
I nod over my shoulder. “Blame him. He’s the one who took half an hour to dress.”
Tobias cuts his eyes to me. “I spent fifteen of those minutes spelling my name with my tongue, first, middle, and last,” he announces unabashedly as my cheeks heat.
Tyler shakes his head with a chuckle as I glare at Tobias. “What are you, a fifteen-year-old boy?”
“Would you two freaks get in the limo, please? We’re going to be late.”
Tobias ushers me in, and I hear their hushed exchange, their legs still in view.
“Guess things are going better?” Tyler muses.
“Thank God. I was this close to starting on a Dad bod and researching lawnmowers.”
“I heard that,” I snap, and they both pop their heads in the limo to see my narrowed eyes. I can’t help my laugh at their collective “busted” expressions before they slide in. I’m thankful I’m in the seat opposite Tobias so I can admire him in the suit. Not only that, I’m graced with the sight of Tyler, who only gets better with age. His warm brown eyes are slightly jaded by a lot of living, the small crinkles around them not doing a damn thing to detract from his appeal. All of his boyish good looks are gone, sculpted features taking their place, but his dimple still peeks out when he smiles, and for that, I’m thankful. There’s more wear in his muscular posture since the last time I saw him.
Seeing them together like this is jarring. Added with knowledge of who they are, where they’ve been, and what they’ve accomplished together makes it all the more fascinating.
If the world knew their story, they wouldn’t believe it. I still have a hard time believing it.
“Don’t be nervous,” Tyler speaks up as I fidget. “Preston will love you. So will Molly. She’s good people. You look beautiful, Cee.”
“Well, I was about to say the same to you. You look incredible. Are you seeing anyone?”
Ignoring the flaming jealous glare my compliment and my question earns me, I keep my eyes on Tyler. He shakes his head slightly, his eyes dulling with a flash of pain. “No time right now.”
He’s not ready. Even after all this time. It’s been years since Delphine died, and he wants no part in trying to move on yet. Sadly, I understand it, because I felt the same. He lost the only woman he considered his true love and not by choice, not due to selfishness, fear, or any other idiotic reason that keeps people apart. A long silence ensues. I share a look with Tobias, and I know we’re thinking the same thing.
“You two finally realizing what idiots you’ve been?” Tyler chimes in. “Because I seriously fucking begrudge you both for it.”
“We are,” Tobias says, keeping his eyes on me.
“As long as we know who the bigger idiot is,” I point out.