“I always wanted you,” she argued.

“And I probably knew it, if I’d just thought about it hard enough. But I wasn’t just scared that you’d reject me. I was scared that you wouldn’t. That I’d hurt you like I did everyone else. That the town would turn on you.”

“I don’t care about the town’s opinion, and you’d never hurt me.” She shivered, and I brought us to the edge of the ledge, then lowered us so she was immersed in the water while she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“Hurt you physically? Never. But I wasn’t the most trustworthy with your emotions, and the thought of ruining you?” I shook my head. “Besides, I was leaving for college. What was I going to do? Leave you brokenhearted and lonely? How selfish would that have been?”

“I was anyway.”

I kissed her lips, letting the touch soften the memories, trying to trust that this was real and not some fucked-up dream I’d wake from. “Our timing was off. It was always off.”

She grinned. “You’re saying you couldn’t find the pika.”

I laughed, and it felt great. God, to have her in my arms, to kiss her, to laugh with her. It was beyond my wildest dreams.

“Right. I knew how to sit quietly with you. I knew how to be patient, and that’s why I knew the timing wasn’t right. Then you were kissing Sullivan, and I realized the time had passed and I hadn’t been brave enough to grab it. Five minutes, Willow.”

“And this all goes back to you not wanting to take me back to my house because…” She kissed my jaw, and a little of my resolve drifted away with the steam.

“Are you scared you’ll change your mind? Or I will? Is that why you’re rushing?” I asked.

“No, I’m rushing because I’ve wanted you for so long that I’m about ready to combust with it, and if we’re finally on the same page, I’m done wasting time.” She nibbled my ear.

Shit, her reasoning was sound. But so was mine.

“I’m not rushing,” I said, tipping her chin up so I could see her eyes. “Because our timing is right for the first time in our lives. I’m not rushing through something I’ve wanted my whole life just for instant gratification. I’m going to savor every single step I get to take with you. I’m going to date the hell out of you, Willow Bradley.”

She grinned. “Dating, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ve messed up just about everything in my life, but this?” I kissed her gently. “This, I’m going to get right.”

So help me God, I was not going to screw this up.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Willow