Page 13 of The Summer I Stayed (Midlife Meet Cute #5)
Jake
Not here. Not surrounded by everyone.
I tug her away, leading us around a corner of the diner. It’s secluded enough that we’re alone, yet close enough that we can still hear the faint echo of the festival chatter and music. Her back against the wall with the setting sun glowing on her skin.
“Maggie, I—” I pause, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m not good at this. At letting people in. Or expressing myself.” I glance at her, nerves swirling within me. “But you…you make me want to try.”
She looks up at me, her eyes shining in the soft glow of the lights. “Jake…”
I bring my hands up to cradle each side of her face. “Whether you leave or stay, Maggie,” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, “I want you. And that scares me, but it’s also the most alive I’ve felt in a long time.”
The heavy weight lifts from my shoulders as I confess my feelings for her. But a pit in my stomach remains as I await her answer. She stands still for a moment before a smile breaks out on her face.
“I’m staying, Jake,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m staying for good.”
Joy spreads like wildfire through me. She’s staying.
“And I,” she places her hands on my waist and pulls me closer, “want you, too.”
That’s all I needed to hear, all I wanted to hear. Without another word, I lean in and press my lips against hers. This kiss is everything I had imagined and more—gentle yet passionate, filled with all the emotions we’ve been holding back.
Her hands tighten around my waist, pulling me closer as if she’s afraid I’ll disappear. As if she’s just as afraid and hopeful as I am.
We pull apart breathlessly, our foreheads gently touching as we catch our breaths. The feeling of her warm breath fanning against my lips sends a shiver down my spine. Her eyes flutter open, and I’m met with a gaze full of love and warmth.
“Wow,” I say when we part, and a giggle slips past her lips. Her emerald eyes sparkle with delight as she looks up at me. Oh, how I’ve fallen for this woman.
“Jake Hollis,” she says softly, her fingers lightly tracing a pattern on my arm. “I think this is the beginning of something wonderful.”
With a smile, I wrap my arms around her, pulling her closer into an embrace. Yes, it is indeed the start of something wonderful.
We stay like that for a moment, me holding her close, peppering her with kisses in our secluded spot by the lake. Then we finally decide to rejoin the festivities. Maggie goes off with Caroline and Lila. They walk through the stalls. I meet with Tom, and we follow behind them at a distance.
The sight of Maggie enjoying the festival fills me with joy, or maybe that’s just the lingering affects her kisses have on me.
I’ll have to test that theory some more.
But her laughter spreads warmth better than any summer sun.
She occasionally turns to share a private smile with me. Each time sets my heart racing.
“Jake Hollis in love. I never thought I’d see the day,” Tom teases.
“Quiet, Tom,” I grumble, playfully swinging at him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile so much. And I’ve known you since we were kids.”
I shoot him a side-look but don’t respond. How could I? He’s right. I don’t think I’ve smiled so much in years as I have with Maggie in just this short time. My heart feels light and carefree for the first time in a long time.
Maybe this is what it feels like to fall in love.
To let someone in and allow myself to feel again.
My last girlfriend was in high school. We were young, and while yes, I really liked her and thought one day maybe it would be forever, it did not feel like this.
This is more intense, profound, and a little scary. But it feels real. And so right.