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“It’s pretty.” She finally looks up, and damn . . . this woman. When she lets those defenses down, she takes incredible
Why do the biggest assholes have to be the hottest men?
He leans his forehead against mine and inhales.
“Yeah, princess.” “I hate that nickname,” I whisper. “No.” His lips graze mine. “You don’t.”
“You want to tell me why that Adonis leaning against the bar looks like he wants to eviscerate me, Lilah? Did you go and get yourself a man? One who looks like a Hemsworth?”
I lean into Jeremy. “Does he look jealous?” “No, baby girl. He looks murderous. Jealous men are insecure. This one looks like he’s ready to kill me to prove a point
“Why, champ? You jealous?” Please let him say yes. Oh shit. I’ll need to psychoanalyze that thought tomorrow.
“The fuck, Lilah?” He doesn’t sound mad. No . . . he sounds hurt. “Can’t you let that go? Just for tonight? It was a fucking decade ago. We were kids, and there is nothing about that weekend that I wouldn’t change if I could . . . Trust me.”
“You ready for another French Kiss?” “You’ve got to be shitting me,” Killian barks, and Madman laughs. “Chill out, cousin.”
She’s the girl who helped me study for my driver’s test and used to sit, writing songs, while I was working out at the gym, just so she didn’t have to be alone. I don’t care how many years it’s been. I know Lilah Ryan.
That’s a great question. “Jesus Christ. Get a room and then don’t tell us about it,” Jamie bitches.
Something bolder. It holds a promise and begs for relief.
wow
“I wouldn’t like me either tonight if I were him. Now, ask me if I care.”
HOT HOT HOT
“Tell me you’re good with this, Lilah.” Holy shit. His voice . . . It’s barely controlled and so . . . hot. “One night, St. James . . .” I answer, nearly not recognizing my own lust-drunk voice.
So pretty, princess.” “I—” I start to answer, but he cuts me off. “No, you don’t.”
AHHHHHHHHH MY GOD
Without asking, I kick open her bedroom door and stop. “You still with me?” Christ, let her still be with me.
IM WITH YOU
No one can hurt you more than the people you love.
AMENNNN PREACH
She walks silently into the house and up the stairs, and the quiet closing of her bedroom door is louder than any slamming could ever be. She’s hurting, and I don’t know how to help her.
“Lilah,” I call through the door. “Go away, Killian,” she yells through her tears. “Can’t do that, princess.” I wrap my hand around the doorknob but wait. “I’m worried about you.”
Crucible t-shirt and a pair of fuzzy socks. She’s the most stunningly beautiful mess I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Did anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop?” She’s asking me a question but still running her fingers over the keys. “I may have been told that a time or two, but I was never good at following the rules.”
What she needs. It’s not what I want, but this isn’t about me. “What are you doing out of bed, champ?” “Just checking on you.” I cross my arms over my chest, and Lilah tracks the movement.
She fires her questions off rapid-paced, but I don’t budge. Don’t falter. Don’t hesitate. Because to Lilah, any of those things would be a betrayal.
wow wow wow
“I’m here because it’s you, Lilah. You and me. I’m here because it’s always been you and me. Always. Even when you said you hated me. Even when you swore I hated you. Even when you told me you never wanted to speak to me again, it was still you and me. I will always be here for you. I will always protect you. I will always lo—” “Don’t you dare finish that sentence. I can’t— My God,
“We really don’t have to. I won’t ask again.” She picks her notebook up from the piano and jots something down. “You won’t have to. I will,” I promise, then walk away.
🛐
“When I kiss you, you’re going to be the last girl I kiss for the rest of my life. It was always going to be you. You’re it. You’re going to be my girl. And I’m not ready for that with you leaving.
“No tears, princess. I’m going to need you to remember that I loved you first, and when you’re done, I’m going to love you last. Can you do that for me?”
“Fuck, our girl can cook too?” Rome smacks my chest and pushes past me, on a mission for the kitchen, and I yank him back by his shirt. “My girl, you stupid son of a bitch.”
I'll say it again...HOT
Killian I’m in love with your sister. Noah Yeah . . . and? You have been for about 20 years. You gonna finally get off your ass and do something about it? Killian Yup. Just wanted you to know. Noah Good. When you’re done going all Romeo on her, can you put in a good word for me?
Because trying to convince myself I don’t want him certainly feels wrong. But then again . . . how much of us has always been a lie?
But I guess some lessons are harder to learn than others.” My heart hurts, remembering the heart-wrenching pain. “You ready to do this, princess?”
im not ready im crying noooooooo
Everything about you hurts. Having you here . . . in my space . . . every day . . . So willing to do whatever it takes to keep me safe, when I’m pretty damn sure you’re a bigger threat than any stalker could ever be.” My body vibrates with hurt and anger and lust and love.
I'm Broken send helppp
“Fuck you for making me feel this way again.” I push at his chest, but he doesn’t budge, just absorbs the blow. “I swore I never would.” Another shove as the first tear falls, and I curse him again. “You broke me. After everything you said, to find you like that, with her.” I lift my hand again, but this time, Killian catches my wrist. “How could you do that to me?”
And you thought you saw something and left. You didn’t step in. You didn’t fight for me. For us. You just assumed I was a piece of shit and walked away.”
“Immaturity broke us, Lilah. We were young and stupid and didn’t know how to handle this massive thing that had been building between us for years. But broken doesn’t mean destroyed. It doesn’t mean it can’t be fixed. You can still fight for broken things.”
“I was awful to you, Killian . . . for years.” His thumbs brush the tears from my cheeks. “We weren’t ready yet. I think I always knew one day we would be. But we weren’t ready before.”
“This isn’t on you. The guys wanted to tell you right away, but I wouldn’t let them.” “Why not?” I ask with guilt eating me whole. “Because I was pissed too. If I had listened to them and let them say something, maybe we could have avoided all this shit, but I didn’t. This isn’t all on you.”
“I’ve spent a lifetime loving you, Lilah. It was always going to be us. Even when you hated me, I loved you. Even when I thought I hated you, I loved you more.”
“You remember?” I wrap my arms around his neck. “Every fucking word.”
“Never again, princess. No more pushing. It’s you and me, and we’re gonna fight, and we’re gonna get pissed, but we’ll work it out. No more shutting down. No more pushing away.”
“I hate that nickname.” I whisper the lie for old time’s sake and smile. “No, you don’t. You never did.”
“How am I supposed to think when you say something like that?” “You’re not.” He grins as his gorgeous green eyes darken to nearly black.
“My whole life, I’ve been yours. In this life. In every lifetime. I’ll only ever be yours.”
“How about we start with you opening your birthday present, then work our way up to a ring?”
ITS THE NECKLACE I CANT
“Thank you for keeping it safe for me.” “I will always keep you safe, princess.”
🛐
Your village doesn’t have to be big. It has to be loyal.
That girl.” He points to where Lilah is standing with her family. “She’s a distraction.” “I’m going to marry that girl,”
UHHHHGGGGG
My town. My belt. My wife.
You will be his home. His anchor. You’ll be his why. That’s a heavy crown to wear. But you were born to wear it, Lilah.
