Page 89 of Surviving Slater

"I was feeling vulnerable and I didn't want to go on my own."

"Is there anything going on between the two of you?"

I shook my head in response. It wasn't my proudest moment but I hadn't been the only one at fault.

"What about Cathy?" I reminded him.

"Like I said, there's nothing going on. You were getting too close and I needed something to push you away."

I digested his words.

"Getting hurt is inevitable." He seemed resigned to the fact that there was only one way this was going to end between us.

"Is it?" I asked, not convinced our path had to lead to that.

He cared and so did I. Wasn't that how couples started off? But we didn't know how.

"Haven't you ever dated?" I asked, but he shook his head.

I hadn't been with a guy long enough to develop feelings that ruled my heart the way Slater now did.

"Why can't it work?" I asked, not understanding why we couldn't be happy together. Sin and Taylor had started out rocky, but look at them now—they were the happiest couple I knew.

"I don't know how to date," he said, looking rattled. He raked a hand through his hair.

"Neither do I." But I didn't want to give up the hope I had for us.

"Do you want to be with me?" I asked, feeling like I was laying it all down in front of him, not knowing if he would stomp all over me and walk away. But that was the thing about caring for someone, it left you open to them to hurt you at any stage. There had to be trust.

The voice in my head piped up, reminding me about what I currently had Connor looking into for me. I shoved the thought away.

"I don't have a choice," he said, looking intense. "You're already here." He placed his hand over his heart. I swallowed the building emotion that clogged my throat.

"I want this with you," I admitted to him. I had never been in a position where I wanted it more. This was the first time I wanted the happily-ever-after. I loved him but I wasn't ready to say it out loud. Not just yet.

He reached out and intertwined our fingers, and I took the final step to close the distance between us.

I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed him as his arms wrapped around me. His tongue ran across the seam of my mouth and I opened my lips. Our tongues caressed each other, slowly savoring the moment.

It was like a tidal wave sweeping us up in an intensity of emotions and want. By the time I broke the kiss, I was breathing hard and my heart was beating so fast.

"We take this one day at a time," I said to him, trying to formulate a plan of how to tackle us. "And we see where it takes us."

"Exclusive," was his statement, and I nodded. "I won't share you."

His statement warmed my heart because I didn't want anyone but him.

"So what do we call this?" he asked.

"I don't know. Dating?" I lifted my shoulders in a shrug.

"Dating. I like that," he said, and he smiled. The small gesture lifted my heart. And in that moment all the doubts flitted away and I was filled with hope for the two of us.

Then I remembered my other question. "How did you know where I was?"

He was silent for a moment. "I had you followed."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"