“I had feelings for you too,” he says quietly.
The words hit harder than I expected.
“When?” I ask.
“Back then,” he admits.
“Around the same time, I think.”
My chest tightens.
“I just…” he exhales, running a hand through his hair.
“I didn’t understand it at first. But I knew it was something.”
A pause.
“And when you left…”
His voice cracks slightly.
“I thought you didn’t feel the same,” he continues.
“Or that you just… got bored. Or found someone else.”
My jaw tightens.
“No.”
“Yeah,” he huffs softly.
“That’s what I thought.”
He looks down for a second.
“They told me you just left. No explanation. Nothing.”
“I blamed myself,” he admits quietly.
“Thought maybe I pushed too far. That it was my fault.”
“It wasn’t,” I say firmly.
“It was never your fault. You, my sweet little cupcake, is the one I want. It was always you, and that’ll never change.”
He stands slowly, walks toward me. And then –
He sits on my lap.
My hands come up automatically, settling on his hips. He looks at me for a second, then he leans in, and kisses me.
And this time—
There’s nothing, and no one, stopping us.
CHAPTER 10
HARLEY