Can't Help Falling (Sweater Weather, #3)

by Courtney Walsh

The man who saved my life is a grown-up version of the boy who broke my heart.

I’ve always known he’s good-looking. Obnoxiously so. He won the genetic lottery, with Henry Cavill’s chin and Matt Bomer’s blue eyes.

My customers mean well, but by the time the interview rolls around and Lindsay shows up, I want to crawl into a hole and stay hidden until hell freezes over or Leonardo DiCaprio dates someone his own age, whichever comes first.

“Said she didn’t want to do this anymore and left out the back door. Probably driving around rage singing.” “Rage singing?” “Crank the music really loud and sing at the top of your lungs?” She says this like it’s common practice.

Thoughtfulness in a relationship doesn’t always have to look like a romantic gesture, and don’t you think it’s more important in the long run? Let’s normalize practical romance instead of holding guys to an impossible, unrealistic standard. Nobody is going to check all those boxes, no matter what your romance novels say.

I would hate to see you miss out on something wonderful because you were hurt in the past. “You’re worth it. And someone out there thinks the same.”

“Honey, he is speaking my language. Being thoughtful. Doing things that will show me he loves me. It doesn’t matter what the gesture is, if the intent behind it is to show someone you care, then it can be romantic.”

“It’s different with Emmy,” I say. “She and I have a good relationship. A friendship.” He rolls his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of ruining it. That’s crap. Friends make the best lovers anyway. We’ve already established that she’s good for you, so if you aren’t telling her, it’s only because you’re afraid.”

“I want to know everything about you, Emmy. I want to listen to you unload after a bad day. I want to make sure you’re safe. I want to be the person you think I am because you see a better version of me than I do. I want to fall asleep on the couch watching stupid romance movies.”

“I get it now. I understand why someone would be a fool for love. That whole ‘when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible’ thing makes sense to me now.”

“I tried not to fall for you, I really did. But I can’t stop thinking about you. And me. And I’ve been trying to think of some super romantic way to tell you because I know how you feel about that stuff, but the truth is, I just want you to know. I want you to know that I don’t want to spend another day without you. I don’t want to keep wondering how it feels to kiss you. I don’t want to have to ask for permission to hold your hand or stop over at your house without calling first. I want this—us—to work. And I didn’t think I’d ever want that again.”