Page 90 of The Accidental Dating Experiment

As I rest my cheek against his, I steal a glance at his father. I do detect a theme. Both men, trying to repair their relationship so they can start over.

My heart is full.

35

THE GANG’S ALL HERE

Monroe

It’s about damn time.

Back at the house, I’m finally able to show her what I did earlier today. Been wanting to all night. After I toss my suit jacket onto the living room couch, I take her hand and bring her out to the back deck, the outdoor light on.

This deck feels like our special place. We’ve planned our dates here. Ate our meals here. Let down our guards. I sit in the Adirondack chair and bring her onto my lap.

“This is what I want to show you,” I say.

She twists around, eyes on me as I undo the buttons on my cuffs. Anticipation flickers in her bright greens as she watches my every move. I feel the same way. I hope she likes this. When the cuffs are rolled up, she tilts her head, studying my left arm.

I don’t say a word. Just hold my breath as she searches the red rose, the dahlia, then the calla lily. Her lips tilt, shifting up, up and into…astonishment.

“It’s so tiny,” she whispers.

“Yeah,” I say, heart thudding harder, louder.

She lifts a hand, her finger tracing the air above my new ink. “You got a ladybug.”

“I got a ladybug,” I repeat.

“For me,” she whispers.

“Always.”

A little red ladybug sits in the lily. For her. On me. Juliet twists all the way, cups my cheeks, and holds my face. She doesn’t kiss me yet. She presses her forehead to mine. “You’re such a romantic.”

I laugh and wrap my arms around her. “Maybe I am.”

“You are.”

“I love you,” I tell her.

“You better if you’re putting me on your skin.”

“Go big or go home, they say.”

She pulls back, her gaze immediately returning to my ink. “You got it today?”

I nod. “Blue Roses. The shop in town. I walked in there, and they did it.”

“That was fast.”

“It was necessary,” I say, clearing my throat, needing her to know how much she means to me. “Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You do deserve the best. I want to be that for you. Some days, I might not be. But just know I want to. I always want to.”

Her smile radiates into my soul. “I do know that. And I love you too.”