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And okay.Holy shit, but I actually got choked up. “That is really freaking sweet, Neil,” I said, and he pulled me back into him, lollipop thrown in the bush or something. I didn’t know, actually, because I was sidetracked at the moment. But Neil wasn’t a litterer, so he must’ve folded it back in the wrapper and put it in his pocket somehow.
But anyway—a new beginning, absolutely.
As it turned out, neither one of us really wanted to leave Texas. So, I was going to start at a community college this fall while working at the theater and messing with my screenplays, and Neil was officially starting training at the fire academy next month. (Apparently, Texas had one of the top fire academies in the country—yay for Neil, and yay for me.) But loaded up in the back of Neil’s truck? Were the contents of my entire bedroom and closet. Yep, we were moving out. (Not together. Notyet,anyway. I was still working on getting him to commit that sin with me sometime in the near future.
Sydney was moving out with me, and Jax with Neil. Into two apartments in the same complex, so it was close enough, I guess.)
“You have to open them.” Neil brought my attention back to the butterflies sitting in his palm. He stepped closer, and his breath breezed over my face. It smelled like strawberries. And ittastedlike strawberries when I put my mouth on his. He let out a little moan, and greed curled itself around my limbs. My fingers got tangled in his shirt as I dragged him into me and deepened our kiss.
He moved his lips over mine, our tongues sliding together, and I nipped him with my teeth as he pulled himself away.
He spilled the four tiny butterflies into my hand. All pastel colored—blue, purple, pink, and green.
“The blue one first,” he said quietly. When I met his gaze, I could tell he was nervous. His heartbeat was pulsing at the base of his throat.
Interesting.
I unfolded the blue one and read it out loud. “Will.”
“Now the green,” he said, even quieter.
“You.” Nowmyheart was racing, sending a jittery feeling through my whole body.
“Purple… and then the pink,” he finished.
I opened the third one. “Marry,” I said, though I’m not sure the word actually came out of my mouth. I crumpled the fourth one up in my hand. “Are you insane?!” I shrieked. My eyes were wide and slightly terrified; I was stunned stupid.
“Open the butterfly, Liv.”
“No.”
“Open it.” He laughed.
“Absolutely not.” I threw it into the bush, where Neil’s lollipop may or may not have been hiding. I was still going withnot.
“Liv!” He chuckled. Thank god he was amused because I wasnotopening up that butterfly. Neil was officially nuts. Moving out together but not together was one thing. But marriage?
No freaking way.
Not anytimesoon, anyway. If I was being truthful, the idea didn’t terrify me nearly as much as it used to, but we were eighteen!
He tugged me in close, hands clasped around my lower back, and full honesty… the look on his face sort of melted me—amusement, mixed in with adoration, and what was definitely love.
I slid my hands up his chest, unsure of whether I should yank him in and kiss his insanity away, or if I should shove him away from me. Because he was crazy. Possibly even gave Linda a run for her money. But I guess I kind of liked that sort of thing.
I pulled his shirt in my grip and pushed my mouth into his.
I put a lot into our kiss—how much I loved him and wanted to keep him, and the way he surprised me again and again and how much I was seriously here for it.
When he broke our kiss and stepped back a foot, he said, “It doesn’t have to be today, or next week, or even next year. I just want you to know how serious I am about this—aboutus.I’m yours, forever. And you’re mine, too.”
I mean, when he said it like that…
He fished around in the bush and found the butterfly, handing it to me and daring me to open it with one look. A severity to his gaze, but an amusement in his smirk.
“Okay.” I rolled my eyes. But there was a ridiculous smile attached to my face… because Neil.Sigh.I really did love him if I was seriously considering opening this butterfly.
It didn’t mean I wasn’t still slightly terrified, though.