Page 37 of Running from Drac

“Yup,” I say, drawing out the P, just as my truck pulls up to her curb. Wesley and Rich have already dropped Poppy off and are pulling away. “So, basically we’re destined to break up again if we get back together.”

She slinks lower in her seat. “That’s disappointing.”

My hand finds hers across the center console, and our fingers intertwine until we’re holding hands.

“I’m willing to try again if you are,” I admit.

Her eyes brighten with tears. “Really?”

“Amber, I don’t know what it is about you, but when I look into your eyes, hold your hand the way I am now, or even kiss your lips, I just feel at home. I can’t shake you no matter how hard I try. I know it’s a bit toxic to always come running back toyou the way I do, but I truly feel like you are meant to be with me.”

“Me too,” she says quietly. “I haven’t even canceled the venue yet.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “What?”

“Yeah, I just didn’t have the heart to cancel any of our reservations. The wounds were too fresh.”

Nodding, I hold her hand even tighter. “Do you want to still marry me after everything that’s happened?”

She glances up at me and sniffs. “I’ve never wanted anything more, Eddie.”

Before I can rethink anything, I’m across the seat, our lips melding together in the perfect weld of bliss and hopefulness. She still fucking loves me, and that’s all I needed to hear to keep fighting for this.

“Marry me,” I whisper against her lips. “Let’s not cancel anything and see this through. I know we can work through anything if we try.”

She nods. “Okay, but on one condition.”

“Anything, baby. Just tell me what you need from me, and I’ll make sure to fulfill your every wish.”

“No more lies, okay? From either of us. I can’t take it anymore, Eddie.”

My gut plummets.

“From here on out, I just want the truth. No more lies. No more cheating. I just want this to be about us,” she adds, taking my hands. “I need more from you, Eddie. I need you to prove that you love me, to put my needs before yours, to stop being so selfish in the relationship and realize there’s another person that’s a part of it.”

Emotion clogs my throat. She has no idea what she’s asking of me. If I tell her about Pippa, all this fake happiness will wiltaway. I don’t want to break her again. Not after we’ve been through so much.

“I promise I will try, Amber. The best I can.”

“That’s all I ask, Eddie. We have two months to try to piece this back together before we say I do. If you’re down to put in the effort, so am I.”

Our lips meet again, and I can’t help but feel like I’m gambling with our relationship by agreeing. I’m going into this holding back a huge secret that could really break us up for good. But as I look into her ocean-colored eyes, swirling with a mirrored desperation to fight for us, I can’t help but eat the secret like I’m swallowing a key that will never resurface. As long as Pippa keeps her big mouth shut, Amber and I should be fine.

The secret dies today.

Nobody needs to know.

Not Amber.

Not Rich or Wesley.

Not even Poppy will find out about what happened with Pippa that night. I’ll make sure of that myself if I have to.

All that matters to me is keeping Amber and I together—forever this time.

“I’ve got you, Amber. I promise this time will be different.”

She smiles, her neck careening into me as I caress her face and go in for another kiss, this one stealing my breath away.