Page 87 of Escape

She shook her head. “No. Honestly, I don’t know that I could be like this with anyone else again. It’s only because it’s you that I feel safe enough to explore something like this so soon. I just don’t want to make assumptions about where you stand with this. Maybe you’re against labeling this, or perhaps you don’t want to make any statements about exclusivity since we’ve only really shared a handful of kisses in an arcade.”

If I didn’t think it would have the potential to freak her out completely, I might have told her exactly how I felt about her, about how I wanted to build a life with her. “First, I’m not the kind of guy who casually dates. If I’m going to be with someone, I’m only with them. Second, I’ve had feelings for you since high school. I screwed up immensely back then, but I’ve got the opportunity to make it right all these years later. I’m not going to screw it up again. And lastly, we might have only shared a handful of kisses, but they were the best of my life. I’d be devastated if you didn’t want to consider yourself off the market.”

She stared at me in silence for a second or two before she nodded and said, “So, this is us. We’re doing this.”

I reached out for her hand, linked my fingers with hers, and replied, “Yes, Josie, we’re doing this. Are you okay with that?”

A smile formed on her face. “Yes, Huck. I’m more than okay with that.”

I wanted to reach across the center console and kiss her again, but the sound of a horn from the car behind us alerted me to the fact the light had changed.

So, I returned my attention to the road and started driving again.

And I did it while feeling the best I had in ages.

TWENTY-THREE

Josie

This had been the best day of my life.

Nothing, not one single thing I’d ever experienced before, could even come close to comparing to the day Huck had given me today.

Sure, there had been the wonderful lunch out together and the trip to the arcade that had me feeling so much nostalgia that made the day lovely. But it wasn’t either of those things that gave me the hope and happiness I was feeling now.

It was the conversation we’d had throughout the day, starting immediately after our first kiss.

Of course, there’d been a few tense moments as I tried to get Huck to see reason, to make him understand that he couldn’t hold on to guilt about not acting on feelings when we were in high school or even coming to look me up when he was finally back in Steel Ridge permanently.

But once we’d gotten past that, everything simply felt magical.

Because we were making it official. We were going to try this out and see if we could make it work. And after years and years of facing such disappointment, frustration, abuse, and heartache, I was looking forward to fulfillment, peace, protection and, hopefully, love. Fear was no longer going to factor into my romantic life. I wholeheartedly trusted the man I was with, and I hoped I could give him even just a fraction of what he was already giving me.

Whether I’d succeed remained to be seen, but I intended to give it everything I had.

Now that the night was winding down, and the credits were rolling on the movie we’d just watched—watched being a term I was using loosely, considering we spent most of our time making out with one another—I was sad the day was ending. I wanted to take this day and relive it forever and ever for the rest of my life.

“Today was a great day,” Huck said.

He was on his side, his head propped in his hand as he looked down at me. I was on my back beside him, loving the feel of not just the proximity to him but the weight of his arm that was draped over my abdomen, too.

“Yeah, it was,” I agreed.

“It’s getting late. Are you tired?” he asked.

“A little. This was certainly the most physically demanding day I’ve had since leaving the hospital.”

“We should probably head upstairs and get to bed.”

That’s when it hit me.

Maybe this day didn’t have to come to an end. Maybe we could continue what we’d been doing, and we could have an excellent night together.

“That’s probably a good idea,” I said.

Huck and I got ourselves up off the couch. He began turning off all the lights and asked, “Do you want anything from the kitchen before we go up?”

I was eager to get upstairs and start the rest of our night together. “No, thanks. I’m good.”