Page 82 of Meet Cute Reboot
“The rest of your Christmas gift.”
“Your gift is still under my tree.”
I placed my hand over both of hers, angled my body so our chests were parallel, and then I dipped my head to level my eyes with hers. “I would never cheat on you, Cassie.” Profound silence punctuated my sentence as Cassie blinked under my steady gaze. She took a deep breath. “I want to believe you, but I—”
I tightened my hand around hers. “I love you.”
Her chest collapsed and her cheeks went slack.
It was the first time I’d said those three words.
She looked down at the Oriental rug, studied its intricate pattern. My words had barreled into her, set her off kilter. Not the effect I’d been going for.
“Um.” She slid her hands and the box out of mine. “I guess I should open this?” Her voice sounded distant.
“Cassie.” I cupped both sides of her neck with my hands, my thumbs anchoring her cheeks. “You can trust me.”
A faint smile warmed her face.
“I’m not pressuring you to say it back,” I added. “I just wanted you to know how I feel about you. About us.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
I dropped my hands and scooted closer to her until our knees were in a line. She set the box on her lap and began tearing at the childlike Santa Claus paper, the best wrapping paper I could find in Mom’s hoarder stash. When she opened it, the diamond-studded cross sparkled in the firelight.
Cassie gasped. “Is this real?”
I chuckled. “Yes. It’s really a cross necklace.”
“The diamonds. Are they real?”
“Of course.”
Cassie gingerly lifted the necklace and studied the glittering pendant. “You didn’t have to do this, Luke.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
She rested the pendant in her hand, her head shaking. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” I fingered the chain where the two ends met, and then lifted the necklace from Cassie’s hand and undid the clasp. “May I?”
She nodded. I pulled the chain around her neck, my arms encircling her, my body leaned toward hers, and blindly found both sides of the clasp, anchoring them together. Then, I carefully freed her hair and traced the chain with my finger until it touched the cross.
She reached for the necklace but caught my hand instead. “It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” I whispered. I drew my hand up her neck, onto her cheek, gently tilted her head, and leaned in for a deep kiss. Her hands found my chest, the top button of my shirt coming easily undone. We descended onto the cushions, her chest rising and falling rapidly against mine.
As my hand discovered the skin beneath her shirt, Cassie pulled away. “I’m afraid your mom is watching,” she whispered.
I caught her lips again, smiling as I enjoyed the closeness. “She probably is,” I murmured.
“Also.” Cassie reared back, compressing the upholstery foam beneath her head. “I love you too.”
Fireworks lit my chest and their spray descended through my arms and legs. We gazed at each other nose to nose, the smile on my face so big I could have aced any clown audition. Cassie giggled.
“Let’s go upstairs,” I whispered.
She agreed and we tiptoed up the creaking stairs, carrying our desire with us into the guest bedroom, taming it just enough to not wake up the house.