In My Heart (The Barrett Sisters #1)

by Nora Everly

“Will he be my dad like Daddy Will was?” “He wants to try. Is that okay with you?” “Yes. But Calla needs a dad too. I want to share him with her. Can I?”

Never once did I imagine that she wouldn’t be my friend—not until the day I realized what love really was and started imaging her being so much more. When I learned what a kiss was, I wanted to do it with her. When I was curious about sex, I imagined it with her. When I pictured the family I would have someday, she would be my wife. I wanted to be with her always. I wanted to live with her, die with her. Just be with her. There had never been anyone else for me, not ever. I

“Dylan, we’re late. I might get grounded,” I joked. “Ooh, you’re in trouble.” He laughed at me. “I’ll tell Grandma it’s my fault. She never gets mad at me because I’m so cute.” I hopped out of the car and opened the back door. I gave him a grin as I unbuckled his seatbelt. “True, you are cute. But we’ll be living in town and Grandma is going to babysit you all summer when I work at Violet’s. Cuteness is only going to get you so far when we’re here all the time. Keep that in mind.” He considered my words. “Okay, you’re on your own, then. I’ll save my cuteness for when I spill milk or break a window.”

“Honey, we all love Will. But he wasn’t Luke. Luke is the one for you. He was your first love, your first everything. Diana and I used to dream of you two getting married.” She smiled sadly as she remembered her best friend who died in a car accident when Luke was eight. “Even as babies, you gravitated toward each other. You have an identical twin sister, and sometimes it seemed like you were closer to Luke than to Rose.”

“What if I let go and I fall apart?” I choked out. Talking through the lump in my throat hurt. I had to end this conversation before I turned into a blubbering mess. “Then I will be here to help you put yourself back together.” “I’ve never been on my own. I’m talking about true independence. Being an adult. Not a child. Not a girlfriend. Not a fiancée. Not a wife. Just Lily.”

“Why are you all so sure that we’ll get back together?” I was kind of freaked out that my family had not only forgiven Luke so quickly, but they all seemed to think it was inevitable that we’d get back together. I got up and headed to the fridge in search of something to drink. “Duh, because it’s Luke. Luke and Lily are like peanut butter and jelly. And I was always the pickle on your sandwich.” She stuck her tongue out at me when she caught my eye.

“That’s not what I meant. You were pregnant. You needed me. You didn’t need some crazy asshole who almost killed you, but you did need the father of your baby to stand by your side. Maybe that would have sunk in and pulled me through faster.”

“Can we be friends again? I can be patient.” I laughed softly at that. “You’ve never been patient.” “For you, I will be anything. I will do whatever it takes. I have been missing you for years, and you haven’t been mine to miss. I only saw you in my dreams. But my eyes are open, and you’re right here in front of me, more beautiful than ever.”

Why do you have flowers on the other arm? Flowers are for girls.” “They remind me of a girl.” I caught Lily’s eye. “They are called lily of the valley.” The tiny bell-shaped flowers twined around my entire arm, black ink with white highlights connecting the riot of shaded stems. “Hey, that’s my mom’s name. Lily,” Dylan said. His eyes got wide as he realized who I was talking about. “You missed my mom.” He turned to Lily. “He missed you.” “She was my best friend,”

“I’m not going to kiss you yet, Lily. Because when I do, it will change everything, and you’re not ready yet. And I’m not sure I am either.”

“I won’t stop. I am in love with you. I have loved you since we were kids. I’ve loved you every second of the time I was gone. I was wrong to stay away. Let me spend every day of the rest of our lives making it up to you. Let me love you again.”

“I love you, Luke,” I blurted, and his jaw dropped. “I never stopped loving you, not ever. I loved Will with all my heart. But you—Luke, you are part of my soul. I just wish—” “I know, I wish it too. And I love you. I’ll always love you.” He choked the words out. His body was stiff, like he was holding himself back. “Lily, I can’t stop myself anymore.”

“How could I be with someone else when all I could think about was you? I didn’t want to taint the memories of us together by being with another woman. I couldn’t put my hands on someone else when all I wanted was you. You own my heart. You own every part of me, Lily. I’m yours.”