Closing my eyes, I let the moment flow through my mind. The way Sterling looked at me, the huskiness of his voice. His grip on my waist. The way his eyes heated just before he slanted his lips over mine. I can still feel his hand holding the back of my neck, angling me to just the right position.
Over the years, I often thought about kissing him and the logistics of making that happen. He’s a foot taller than me, hence the reason behind our nicknames. I wasn’t sure we would be able to pull it off with those twelve inches of difference, but it was… dare I say perfect?
“Alyssa?” I open my eyes to find Palmer standing next to me. “Are you all right?”
“Yep. Good. Fine.” I stand to my full height.
“He really laid one on you, huh?” She grins.
“It was all for show.” I say the words, but I’m not sure if they’re true. Yes, it started out for show, but something about that kiss seemed like it was more.
“When a man kisses you like that, when you have to rush off to catch your breath, that’s not for show.”
“He’s my best friend,” I whisper. I’m still reeling from our kiss and the what-ifs that have been bouncing around in my head since we got here.
“Guess what?” she asks.
“What?” I’m eager for her to give me some words of wisdom here.
“Brooks is my best friend too.” She winks and takes a step back. “Oh, I have something planned that you’re not going to want to miss. I’ll stall but get your wits about you and meet us back outside. And can you do me a favor? When you get back out there, and we’re all sitting, ask me if I’m nervous about this one's delivery.” She grins, placing her hands on her belly, then turns and walks away. You can’t even tell she’s pregnant except for the slight waddle in her gait. She’s all baby belly.
I watch until I can no longer see her before closing my eyes once again. My insides feel like I’m being twisted in a blender. I don’t want things to change between us, but at the same time, the thought of being with Sterling is…. The idea of us truly together lights a fire in my soul.
I feel a rough hand against my cheek, and I don’t have to open my eyes to know it’s him. However, I do it anyway. I need to see him. See how he’s feeling.
“Hey.” His voice is gruff. “You okay?”
I nod. “Are you?”
“Yeah.” He gives me a slow, sexy smile. “Come here, Tink.” He drops his hand and opens his arms wide.
I don’t hesitate to step into his embrace. My heart is instantly calm, and my breathing is regulated. Sterling is my comfort, my constant in life. He hugs me close, his arms not leaving any space between us.
We stand enfolded in one another, neither ready to let go. I don’t ever want him to let go. It’s at this moment that I realize that all those old feelings that teenage me thought were fleeting were anything but. They’re back with a vengeance, and I don’t know how to handle them.
Eventually, I come to my senses. We can’t stay wrapped around each other in this hallway, so I loosen my grip and tilt my head back.
“You ready to go back outside?” he asks.
No.“Yes.”
He nods, places his hand on the small of my back, and leads me outside. I assumed everyone would have something to say about the kiss, but I’m shocked when Sterling leads us to a double lounger, and not one of them makes a comment. He nods for me to sit, and I do. He takes the spot beside me, as he has hundreds of times before today.
Today just feels different.
Wefeel different.
That kiss changed things. I just don’t know if it’s all one-sided or if things have changed for both of us. Palmer looks over at me and gives me a slight nod, and I remember that I’m supposed to ask her a question. It’s the last thing that I want to do, bring attention to myself, but I told her that I would.
“Are you ladies nervous about giving birth?” I ask generally. Palmer winks at me, and I feel my shoulders relax.
“Sure, it’s scary,” Jade admits. “But it’s also incredible.” Orrin pulls her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“Nothing good in life comes easy.” Kennedy smiles. She looks over at her husband, and Declan winks at her. “We’re blessed, and any pain of delivery will be worth it.”
Declan mouths, “I love you,” and a slight blush coats her cheeks.
“Men don’t know how easy they have it,” Palmer speaks up.