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“I pick a song when something cool or important happens so I can remember it. Then when I want to relive a moment, I rewind it back and start the song from the beginning.”
Hallie is a soft soul with a tough shell, and that exterior seems harder than it used to be.
That thing I’ve been looking for since I moved to Chicago? That connection? That one person some search their entire lives to find? I had already found her when I was twelve years old.
“The guy you were with tonight.” I slowly shift back to face her. “Who was he?” The set in her jaw is evident even from here. “Not your job to worry about.” Nodding, I turn back to my house, hands casually tucked in my pockets as I continue to walk. With my back to her, I make sure my words are loud enough for her to hear them. “Lose him.”
LOSE HIM!!! OKAY RIO! 🥵
“You used to be my best friend, and yeah, we haven’t seen each other since then, but I’d rather hold on to the memory of the sweet neighbor boy I loved than replace it with this version of you.”
“Good night, friend.” He grimaces. “Yep. Don’t love that.”
I’ve always had this innate need to protect him. Growing up, he was an easy target because he made himself the butt of the joke most of the time,
“Okay, rude,” Miller cuts in. “Love you so much, but we were asking her.”
Love a girl's girl.
I don’t know what to say other than something stupid about how much I missed her, or how I might not be as mad as I thought I was, or how the bedroom she’s going to be designing, I had only ever pictured sharing it with her.
“And what happened that was so important when you heard it?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear her say it. She smiles down at me softly. “It was the first time I realized that you may feel the same way about me as I’ve always felt about you.” It may be her birthday, but I swear, with that single sentence, she just made all my wishes come true.
“Ariel!” Taylor supplies as she and Max join the other two on the couch. “Absolutely not, Tay.” Rio’s brows are pinched. “Spoiler alert, but she gives up her voice because she thought some random dude was hot. We’re strong independent women here. The only princess movies we’re going to watch are the ones where they realize they don’t need a man.”
“You single, Hal?” I finally give him the long-awaited answer, nodding to tell him yes. “Good.” He takes a slow predatorial step towards me, tone sharp and leaving no room for question. “Because we aren’t fucking friends.”
You should’ve seen the latte art today. It was my best one yet until I took a sip.
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed to let people know how hard you’re willing to work to get what you want.”
Just because we kissed doesn’t make me yours.” I lift a brow. “Is that a challenge?”
He scoffs but it’s pained, like he’s just trying to find enough oxygen to breathe after that hit. “God, Hallie.” His fingers tighten in my hair. “You have no idea how untrue that is. I wanted to. I tried so fucking hard to forget about you, and I couldn’t. I know that me simply saying that doesn’t mean shit right now, but soon enough, I think you’ll realize just how hard I’ve been holding on to you all these years later, even when I tried to let you go.”
even though I may have gone six years without seeing you, the thought of going two weeks now feels impossible. And no, I don’t have the answer for why that is, but I want a chance to figure it out.”
After all this time, I just wanted my turn.” “But I’m not your person.” My throat burns while saying it, and the words taste like a lie as soon as they’re out of my mouth. “Yeah,” he chuckles without humor. “That’s what I spent the past six years trying to convince myself of too. But I’m tired of lying, Hallie. Aren’t you?” “I don’t want to want you.” “Yeah, baby.” He nudges his nose against mine. “That makes two of us.”
he drops his forehead to mine. “Hal,” he exhales, already short of breath. “I want this. I want to give this another try. You and me.”
“Do you think that… I mean, could you ever see yourself giving us another shot?”
“Are you out of your mind? Just because I need you to be mine before I fuck you doesn’t mean I don’t want to cuddle.”
“I always wondered what you’d be like in a relationship. I thought you’d be a fucking idiot, not knowing which way was up. Like a too excitable puppy, but you seem…grounded.”
“Well, I know that technically, these are your best memories, but they’re mine too. Meeting on that roof, listening to music. Getting the opportunity to fall in love with you is my best memory, and all I can do is hope that one day you’ll let me do it again.”
“You love me?” “Well, yeah.” He softens with a smile. “Isn’t that obvious?” “You don’t think you should’ve told me before you told my brother?”
“I love that dress on you, baby.” “Thank you. It’s—” “Take it off.”
“Are you sure that’s not just a first-love thing?” “No, baby. It’s a last-love thing.”
“Hallie,” Rio whispers, still dancing slowly with me in his kitchen. “Are we doing this? You and me. Because I’m all in.”
“Everyone,” Rio announces, “this is my girlfriend, Hallie. Be nice to her or I’ll literally never talk to you again.”
I slide my hand along her lower back, pulling her into me. “You don’t think you should’ve told me before you told my mom?”
I smile at her softly. “This is the song I was listening to when I signed my contract extension with the Chicago Raptors.”
“Our home?” “Our home.” Sliding my palms up her thighs, I pull her tighter against me. “I thought you would’ve realized it the first time you came over. Hallie, the irony of hiring you to design the house is that you’re the person I bought it for.”
Hallie and I fell in love on the roof that connected our parents’ homes. I’m going to ask her to spend forever with me on the roof of ours.
