Hello, Handsome

by H, Caity

  “And if something changes?” she asked, her eyes darting toward the roses. “What then?”

  Things could change in an instant. It changed when my dad told me I would only break her heart. It changed when she told me she’d loved me. It would change again at the end of our conversation.

  “Then we figure it out,” I said. “Together.” I tilted her chin up, leaning closer.

  Her eyes closed, and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. When she opened her eyes again she nodded. “Okay.” She shook her head and laughed, looking up at me again with eyes that shone brighter. “Okay, Lex Diamond.”

  “Really?” I grinned, my chest swelling and my stomach getting that mushy feeling again.

  She smirked, moving closer so her arms draped over my shoulders. “I’ve put up with you this long. What’s a little longer?”

  She was giving me a chance. And I would make sure that she didn’t regret it.

  Leaning forward, I captured her lips. My arms slid to her hips, one hand trailing up her spine as her fingers wove through my hair. Our lips collided, hearts sharing the same beat. I didn’t want to pull away, to suck in a breath or part from the girl I was in love with.

  Out of all the kisses we’d shared, this was the best. The first time, neither of us had known what we were doing. The other kisses had been stolen and guilty, but this one? This was the first kiss we’d shared where we were on the same page. The first time we both wanted the same thing. This was more, it was deeper. It was the kiss two people in love shared.

  Epilogue: Dressed in White

  It felt like it had only been hours since she’d said yes, given me another chance. It didn’t feel like years had passed. But they had, time had passed and together we had grown. Everyday brought new challenges, new adventures, and new reasons to fall in love all over again. Everything had changed, and I never wanted to go back to a time where Olivia Rayne Diamond wasn’t the girl I fell asleep next to.

  Everyone was dressed up. There were flowers and soft lighting, laughter and groups of people dancing. All I could focus on was her. My Honeybee, the girl who said yes. She stood across the room from me, smiling with Bethany as they watched the groups in front of them dancing. People kept walking up and hugging her. She looked beautiful. She always did, but there was something so special about seeing her dressed in white, a gold band on her finger to match mine.

  It still boggled my mind that we were here together, that we’d said those two fated words that would tie us together forever. For years I told myself that I wasn’t right for her, that we would only shatter if we started something more. But the truth was I had loved her from the start. I had always pined for a girl like her, lying to myself because I didn’t want to be a cliché. Maybe clichés weren’t so bad.

  “You know,” Desmond said as he walked over to me, drink in hand. “You guys are married now. You don’t have to creepily watch her from afar the way you did a few years ago.”

  I smirked and glanced over at him. “I realize, thanks.” He shrugged his shoulders and dropped an arm around mine. I raised an eyebrow. He might’ve been best man, but we still weren’t the type of friends to hug.

  “Just go dance with her,” he said, pulling back. “Before I do. She looks really good in white.”

  Rolling my eyes, I backhanded him across the stomach and made my way through the crowd. Her back was to me, and I slid my arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her neck. It was still weird, even now, that I could just kiss her like this.

  She turned slightly, a smile dancing in her eyes. “Hello, handsome,” she murmured, putting her hands over mine.

  “Hello, Honeybee.”

  “I was wondering where you were,” she murmured as Bethany excused herself.

  “Around,” I replied, grinning when she rolled her eyes. “Would you like to dance?” She turned and draped her arms over my neck. “Is that a yes?” She smirked and nodded, grabbing my hand and leading me to the dance floor.

  The song was a slower tempo. I took her hand in mine, setting my other arm around her waist. She smiled and we started to sway back and forth. She had that smile on her face, the same one she’d worn when I had asked her to marry me, the same smile that had shown brightly back at me as she’d walked down the aisle.

  “I used to dream about this day,” she said, glancing at the people around us. “Not getting married.” Her eyes met mine again. “But, being with you, being able to call you mine.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. I dropped her hand and slid my fingers over her neck, smiling as a shiver rolled over her back. “I have to admit, I really like saying you’re my girl.” My head dropped closer to hers. I could smell the scent of her perfume, and I’d tasted many times already the strawberry flavor on her lips.

  Her head tilted up to meet mine, our lips close enough to touch. “I love you.”

  My eyes closed as I brought our lips together. There were a few cheers from the people around us and I grinned against her mouth, separating a few seconds later. I was ready to be alone with her, to kiss her without feeling eyes on us.

  “I’ll never get tired of hearing you saying that,” I told her. “And I’ll never get tired of saying I love you, too.”

  She smiled and slid her arms around my neck. She trailed her fingers over the back of my neck, curling into my hair. “Good,” she replied. “Cause, I’ll probably say it a lot.”

  I laughed and nodded my head. “I’m okay with that.”

  For the first few weeks of our relationship, she had been hesitant. After our past, I didn’t blame her. But things were different. We weren’t a question anymore. There were definite feelings, strong and powerful feelings. I cared more for her than I had ever cared about anyone else. She was the one person in the entire world that I could be myself with. She pushed me to be a better person. It was because of her that we stood together now, that we would always stand together.

  “Honeybee,” I murmured, brushing a stray curl behind her ear. She glanced up at me, and my heart pounded a little harder against my ribcage. “Thank you.” She furrowed her eyebrows, a smile tugging at her lips. “For being my friend, for giving me a second chance.” I smirked, glancing around us. “For saying yes.”

  “Lex,” she said, adjusting the tie lying against my chest. “How could I ever say no to someone with a face as pretty as your?”

  I laughed and leaned down, taking her lips again. She grinned and pulled back first. “I knew you only wanted me for my looks.”

  A shrug rolled over her shoulders and she met my gaze, light dancing in her irises. “It took you long enough to figure it out.” She bit her lip gently, making me want to kiss her again.

  She was right, of course. It had taken me way too long to figure it all out. She was my one. My wife. My Honeybee.

  “Mrs. Diamond,” I murmured, my lips touching her forehead.

  “Yes, Mr. Diamond?” she asked with a giggle.

  “I’m looking forward to a future with you,” I said, tilting her chin up so our eyes met. “Kids, grandkids, wrinkles.” I paused and narrowed my eyes. “Well, maybe not wrinkles, but I’m sure together we’ll make them look sexy.”

  She laughed again, nodding her agreement. “Something like that.”

  “Point is,” I said, winking. “I’m glad you’re my one. No one else would make wrinkles look sexy.” No one but my Honeybee.

  I was ready to wake up next to her, to fight over finances, and help her decide what color to pain the kids’ rooms. There would be times where we wanted to kill each other, days where we were too in love to leave the house, and times where we’d want to sell everything and sail around the world. There would be hundreds of adventures, and they would all happen with her by my side.

  My life had ended and ours was beginning, and I couldn’t wait to experience every single part of it.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Once upon a time a book hit me in the face. I was never the same again. Suddenly, writing and reading
and stories were all I could think about. At least, I think that’s how it went.

  Being perfectly frank, I just dig words. I like the way they make me feel when I get them in just the right order. I like how they can change people. It’s a special kind of feeling. A special kind of responsibility, you know?

  That being said, writers are both heroes and villains. At times we’re your best friend. And sometimes you want to strangle us for the turmoil we put you through. So, in many ways, we’re also a special kind of evil. Sorry about that… It just kind of comes with the territory.

  At the end of the day, I am a Christian. I am a writer. I am a student, fluent in sarcasm, movie quotes, and song lyrics. I also have a cute dog.