What The Heart Needs - The Heart #3 (Complete)

Chapter 20 - Part 1

The next day we went met Adonis and Lacey at a restaurant for a double date lunch. It was the first of many to come.

"Seeing you guys together is weird, but nice. Does that make sense?" Lacey murmured when we were seated at our table.

Aiden held my and as we sat beside each other. Being with him was effortless, it wasn't something I had to think about. It just came naturally.

"We have a bit of time to get used to and it's good." I smiled, never feeling happier than I did in that moment. I found it difficult to put into words how special it felt between us but I only had to look how Adonis interacted with Lacey to know they shared the same.

We ate and reminisced and laughed. My eyes met Aiden's, he smiled and the warmth spread in my chest. I held his hand a little tighter.

If I had to think back to everything we had all been through, I couldn't quite believe we were all together now, laughing and happy. There had been more than a few times I hadn't been able to hold onto the hope that we would make it to where we were now.

Adonis had proposed and the ring sparkled on her finger. It was a beautiful sight and I ignored all the critics that suggested it was too much too soon. They knew what they wanted, why delay it.

Their upcoming wedding was soon and I couldn't wait for my friend to start her life with the man she had loved from the age of thirteen. Just thinking about it made me emotional.

After we finished and said our goodbyes, Aiden took me home. He parked his car and helped me out the passenger side.

"You have fun tonight?" he asked as I leaned into him hugging him with my arm around his waist. His arm around my shoulders.

The night air was cool and I shivered. He embraced me closer.

We stopped outside my front door.

"Doesn't this bring back memories?" I murmured when I suddenly remember our first kiss on my porch after we had dropped Lacey off after the party.

I had been on the verge of tears trying to find my house keys. He had found them for me and I had found myself crying, giving into the emotions I had kept a tight lid on. Under the starry night on the porch we had gravitated together, it had only been us. Nothing from the outside world had been able to stop us from kissing.

I remember the panicked realization of what I had just done and it was different to look back on it now when we were together and very much in love.

"That feels like forever ago," he murmured, taking my hands in his.

"I know," I agreed. "I remember how horrified I was afterward."

He stared into my eyes and I felt that same attraction that had brought us together take hold. There was only him. The way he was looking at me, the way his eyes flickered to my mouth before he kissed me. I kissed him back, just like I had before.

This time when we ended the kiss there wasn't guilt, or confusion. This time we loved each more than we thought possible and we had a future we were excited about.

"I want to tell you something but I don't want to scare you off," he said, pulling a hand through his hair.

I studied him. For the first time, in what felt like forever he seems nervous and my curiosity peaked.

"I need you to know how much I love you..."

"I do," I assured him.

He shook his head. "I know we're not there yet but I have every intention of marrying you one day."

My heart stuttered for a second before it started beating steadily again. I was speechless.

"You gonna say something?" he asked, softly.

"And when that day comes, I will say yes." I knew that for a certainty, there was no doubting what I felt for him.

He pulled me to him and kissed me hard.

"One day I will marry you Reece," he told me softly.

I believed him. And I wanted it more than anything.

For him to be mine and for me to be his, until the end of time.

"Just kiss me for now," I murmured.

He did just, that on the porch where it had all began. He kissed me.

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