Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
With Blakely, there’s this… need that courses through my veins. If I go more than a night without her in my arms, I’m antsy. At first, I chalked it up to being new and that it’s been a long time since I’ve had a female companion in my life, but that’s not it.
That’s not it at all.
I never felt that way when I was with Hannah. I could go days and not see her during my residency, with our schedules not matching up, and it never bothered me. No way in hell could I do that with Blakely.
My need for her is too strong.
I feel someone approach me, and I turn to see Hannah, my ex, standing there. “Go away.” My tone is harsh.
“Good to see you too, Oliver.”
I ignore her. She’s not worth the waste of breath.
“You know, we never would have worked, right?”
I roll my eyes but don’t take them off Blakely, who is now talking to my parents. “Why is that?” I can’t help but ask.
“Because you never once looked at me the way you look at her. Merry Christmas, Oliver,” she whispers as she walks away.
My eyes betray me, and they watch as she makes her way to Josh, and he opens his arms for her. She smiles up at him, and he peers down at her like she’s his entire world.
She’s right. We never would have worked out. We might have tried to make it work, but there would have always been something missing. The passion and the need that I feel with Blakely was never there between us.
Because Blakely is my person.
She’s the one who was meant for me.
Everything I’ve been through, it happened for a reason, and that reason was Blakely. It wasn’t our time yet, but it is now. My eyes find her again, and she’s still talking and laughing with my parents as if she’s known them for years. Hannah never did that. She never really fit with us. Not like Blakely fits with us. It’s as if she was meant to be a part of this family.
I’m in love with you.
The most amazing woman I’ve ever met said those words to me, and I didn’t say them back. I let her walk away from me. I need to fix this. With one foot in front of the other, my feet carry me to where she’s standing with my parents. I wrap my arms around her from behind and bury my face in her neck, breathing her in.
When I lift away, she turns in my arms. “What are you doing?” She tilts her head to the side as if I’m a puzzle she can’t figure out.
“I’m being merry with you, baby.”
Instantly, her eyes fill with tears. I cup her cheeks with my palms as I tilt her eyes up to me. “I love you too. I should have said it back right that minute. I promise you I’ll make up for it by telling you every day all day long for the rest of our lives.”
“That’s a long time.” She smiles as she battles with tears.
“Not long enough with you. I love you, Blake. I’m sorry. I was a grumpy asshole.”
“You’re my grumpy asshole,” she says, smiling bigger than I’ve ever seen.
Leaning down, I kiss her like this very well could be the last time I ever do. When I pull back, applause greets my ears. I pull Blakely into my chest as I scan the room and see everyone smiling at us.
“Welcome back, son,” my dad says. “We missed you.”
“You have my girl to thank for that.”
Blakely peers up at me under those long-ass lashes. “Nothing a little love and Christmas can’t fix. That’s what brought us together, after all.”
“Love and Christmas. I guess that’s what I have to look forward to?”
“Yep.” She grins.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” I kiss her again, because she’s here, I’m here, and she’s mine. What other reason do I need?
We spend another hour at the party before I convince her it’s time for us to leave. As we’re walking out to the car, we pass Hannah and Josh. I stop when Josh says my name.
“Listen, Oliver—” he starts, but I raise my hand to stop him.
“Don’t. What’s done is done.” I glance down at Blakely, who is snuggled up to my chest. “I’d say things worked out exactly as they were supposed to.”
“I tried to stay away, Oliver. I promise you, man, I tried, but I just couldn’t.”
“We went about it wrong,” Hannah says. “I should have ended things long before we let anything happen. I’m sorry for that, but I think you’re right. Things worked out exactly as they were supposed to. You two have a good night. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Blakely replies, because my girl doesn’t have it in her heart to not say it back.