49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Tripp

I finally feel like I've got it right. Sharing this place, this part of me, with Willow. Her hand in mine, plus the smell of the seawater, makes me feel right at home.

We run to the beach, making quick work of the distance, while her hair whips around her face. She laughs once we get to the sand, close to the water.

Get yourself a girl that will run with you, even when she doesn't know where we're going.

"What are we doing?" She breathes heavily, giggling, trying to keep her hair out of her face.

"Take off your shoes. And socks." I reach for mine and start to untie and take them off. I shove my socks in my shoes and then throw them on the sand.

"You're serious." She watches me with her hands on her hips.

"Yes! Come on. Take ‘em off," I playfully plead, and I know I've won when a wide smile cracks her lips.

When we're both barefoot in the sand, I reach for her hand and take off towards the water. Unseasonably warm or not, the beach in October is a special kind of cold—the type that steals your breath and immediately wakes you up.

Tonight, I'm wide awake.

"Oh my god! It's so cold." She kicks the water with her feet and then splashes me—the water like tiny icicles .

"That's what we're doing, huh?" And before I get the last word out, she's already running in the sand, right where the water meets the beach.

I chase her, even when she tries to zig zag and throw me off.

"Baby, you forget, this is my job." She turns my way and is trying to get past me. To be fair, if I wasn't a professional athlete, she might be able to get by me.

I catch her and she screams. I pick her up, throw her over my shoulder, and start walking further into the water. It's an unforgiving type of cold but it doesn't beat the sound of her chuckling, losing her breath, and saying my name.

"Tripp! What are you doing?!" Her laugh is contagious and now I'm shaking with laughter. The water hits mid-calf, the farthest I planned to go, but she doesn't need to know that. I set her down in front of me, the water reaching higher up her leg.

She squeals because it's cold but uses her hand to splash me. The ocean water hits my face, and I can hear the splash of her running as she bolts for the sand.

"Catch me if you can," she yells over her shoulder. Her hair bounces, illuminated by the moonlight.

I run, and she stops right outside where the water crashes on the beach. Willow lets me catch her. I wrap my arms around her and spin around a few times. The sound of her laughter hits me. Hard. I set her down and she gets on her tiptoes to throw her arms around my neck.

Our lips meet, like they were always supposed to, and the moment is charged. Different. I've felt like I've been on the edge of something all night.

And when it clicks, I hold my breath and feel my heartbeat in my chest. Hear it in my ears. Out on the beach, the ocean at my heels, on a chilled October night, I know I love Willow .

I put both of my hands on the side of her face and kiss her like she deserves. She moans into me, her hands grasping at my shirt.

"Lo—" I say as I pull away from our kiss. Her eyes are kind and bright. Why is this so fucking scary? I know how I feel. I just have to say it. Or I could wait?

"What's wrong?" The concern in her face makes the decision for me. My sweet girl, always expecting the worst. Not tonight.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything feels… like it should. Like I didn't know how it was supposed to feel, until you." I tuck a strand of errant hair behind her ear and she leans into my touch. "I love you. All of you." I kiss her before she can say a single word.

"You do?" she questions with a small version of her voice; the moon reflects like fire in her golden eyes.

"Of course, I do."

"Tripp," she stands still, words on the tip of her tongue. I know she's scared of them and that's okay. I can be patient. You know why?

Because she's already said them.

Watching Willow sleep has become one of my favorite things—it quiets my busy brain. Her dark hair is splayed on my pillowcase, but it's really hers. It feels right for her to have a side of the bed. Recognizing how she's settled into my home, my life, steals my breath. I gasp and put a hand over my mouth to stifle the laughter.

It's not funny, not one bit. It's like my brain can't compute the way I'm watching the girl of my dreams, flutter her eyelashes and twitch her lips, while she sleeps.

Have I ever been in love?

Fuck. Is that what this is? Sweat prickles the back of my neck.

Willow starts to stir, moving some rogue strands of hair from her face, and purses her lips, pink and swollen from our earlier kissing. I try to be as still as possible; I don't want to wake her up .

She mumbles, her lips barely open, words indiscernible. Every once in a while, she'll talk in her sleep, and at first, it scared the shit out of me, but now I'm used to it.

Willow takes a deep breath, sighing it out. Her chest rising and falling to match.

But the next thing she says is clear.

"I love you," Willow says, wearing a smirk as she sleeps. She looks peaceful and content.

Meanwhile, I'm trying not to kick my feet like a fucking middle schooler.

The way she kisses me back tells me everything I need to know. I want to give her the space to say how she feels when she's ready.

"Let's go back to the room," she says, her voice soft, mischievous.

She doesn't have to tell me more than once.

"Grab your shoes and hop on," I say, pointing to my back. She jumps on and I give her a piggyback ride back to the bed and breakfast.

We make it to the room, and I set her down outside the door. She laughs as I kiss her neck and try to open the door at the same time.

I can't stop touching her.

We're kissing from the doorway, all the way into the room, until her legs hit the bed. She takes her coat off, and I do the same. When her hands reach for the hem of her shirt, her arms crossed in front, she looks at me with eyes made of fire.

She's fucking beautiful with cheeks flushed from running on the beach. Willow bites her already swollen bottom lip and pulls her shirt up and over her head.

I step closer. She reaches, her hands like ice, for the bottom of my shirt. Doesn't matter. I want them everywhere.

"I have an idea." I say while I help her take my shirt off .

Warm water fights the coldness in my bones and there are mountains of bubbles. Willow sits in between my legs, leaning her back to my chest, and my arms wrap around her front.

"This might be too many bubbles." Willow laughs as she tries to get some off her face.

"Is there really a limit when you're talking about bubbles?" I ask. In all honesty, she's right. I had no idea how many to put in. Seems like there's enough for multiple very aggressive bubble baths.

"Mmm. This is perfect."

"Told you, there's no bubble limit—"

"Not just the bubbles. The drive. The Ferris wheel. The beach." She turns her head to mine, and I steal a kiss. It's sweet—full of all of the things I didn't say earlier.

You're the first person I've considered settling down with.

I want to take every road trip and vacation with you.

There's no ocean I won't splash around in, no matter how cold, as long as you're by my side.

You could be my family.

"Thanks for taking a chance on this. On me," I say, touching my head to hers.

"Here's to many more chances."

Many more.