Page 52 of No Mistakes

She’s almost at the door when it happens. The moment I never thought would arrive. It’s like something inside of me snaps.

Fuck it.

I throw the car in park and push the door open, leaving it swinging wide as I break into a jog. My feet pound the pavement harder than I mean them to, my heart roaring in my ears as I reach for her arm, pulling her to a stop.

She turns, eyes wide, as she stares at me. “Ant?”

I stare at her, my heart pounding so fast that it drowns out everything else. The words are right there, burning at the back of my throat like they’ve been waiting for this moment.

Waiting forher.

I pull her towards me, just enough so I can cup her face with both hands. Her cheeks are soft and cold against my palms. Her deep brown eyes stare into mine, and I hear her breath catch as I pull her close.

I wait a moment, giving her the chance to pull away, but she doesn’t. I lean in, tipping her face up towards me and kiss her sweet lips.

I don’t kiss her gently. I kiss her like I’ve been starving for it. Like I’m done pretending I don’t want her.

She tastes like lemonade, cotton candy, and something I’ve never had enough of. Her hands drop everything as she kisses me back with the same passion. Her hands find their way to my hair. Then my neck, pulling me deeper, and I let her. I’d let her tear me apart if it meant another second of this.

I break the kiss, just barely, resting my forehead against hers, while we catch our breath. I lean back, making sure to look at her,reallylook at her, and I knownowis the right time.

“I love you.” I croak out quietly. My voice raspy and rusty from years of silence. Her eyes flood with tears immediately, and I watch as every emotion flashes across her face while theelectricity dances between us. Her lips part, stunned into silence as she finds her words.

“You-” She chokes out. “You spoke.”

I nod, my smile breaking free.

A real fucking smile, because ofher.

“Only for you, trouble.”

CHAPTER 23

MANDY

I stare at him,my body forgetting how to breathe.

He said it. He fuckingsaidit.

I love you.

His words hang in the air between us, the tension building like wildfire. His voice was raw, broken, like it hadn’t been used in a decade because it hadn’t. Not for anyone. But he chose to use it forme.

My heart’s pounding so loud I can barely focus on the sounds around me. The world’s gone quiet except for the frantic thunder in my chest.

I step closer to him, needing to reduce the distance between us as much as possible.

“Say it again,” I whisper, my voice shaking as I cup his jaw in my hands, searching his eyes, praying it wasn’t a fluke. “Please.”

He doesn’t need to repeat. I see it in his eyes, the way his lips tilt up at the side. I know I’m being selfish in this moment, but fuck, who wouldn’t be? He leans in slowly, his lips brushing mine.

“I loveyou.”

The second he finishes the sentence, I crash into him, our mouths colliding while our tongues clash against each other as ifthey’re in their own battle. My hands find their way to his hair, my fingers gripping it to hold him in place.

The kiss isn’t soft, it’s not sweet. It’s messy, hot, and frantic.

I taste every second we spent pretending we didn’t want this. Every time he looked at me like I hung the damn moon and stayed silent. Every time I fantasised about how his hands would feel wrapped around my throat.