Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51131 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
She looks back at me over her shoulder, her brow creased with wariness. “When you say family…”
I lock an arm around her neck and yank her back against my chest. “I can’t believe this is the second time in my life I’m doing this without a ring, but I guess when it comes to forever, I’m incredibly impulsive. I want to marry you, Gemma. For real.”
“That’s insane. You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” I murmur, still holding her against me. “I don’t mean tomorrow or anything. We can have as long of an engagement as you want. A year, two years, five years. I don’t care about the paperwork. I just want you close. I’d like for you and Parker to move in with us.”
“What?” she says in a tone of disbelief, trying to pull out of my embrace, but that only makes me hold her more tightly. “Hayden…”
“I know it’s fast, but I know what I want in the long run, and I don’t want to be without you in the meantime. Life is short, and I don’t want to spend another day without you in mine. I know it won’t be smooth sailing, and we have big obstacles in our way, but I promise I will level all of them one way or another if you’ll just be mine.”
Since I won’t let her go, she tips her head back to look up at me, her big brown eyes swimming with emotion. “Are you serious?”
“Completely.”
She lets out a noise caught between a laugh and exasperation. “I won’t even agree to date you, and you think we should get married?”
My lips tug up. “I think that’s the answer. You said yourself, once you commit to someone, it takes a lot for you to come untethered. Commit to me. Then you’ll try harder to get past this Landon stuff and make it work.”
She sighs. “I don’t know, Hayden. I mean… I obviously enjoy being with you, but… I just don’t think Parker would be comfortable.”
“All of this is pending Parker’s approval.”
She looks up at me uncertainly.
“Honest to God. If Parker doesn’t want to do it, we don’t have to. If you guys move in and we try to make it work with Landon, but we can’t, I’ll move him out and get him his own place for senior year to keep him away from her.”
Her wide eyes meet mine. “You would move your own son out of your house?”
“If it’s a matter of Parker’s safety, of course. I love my son, so I’ll do my best to resolve this in a different way, but if he’s determined to be a dick, I won’t indulge his bad attitude at the expense of Parker’s safety or comfort. If it doesn’t work with all of us living together, he can go. You have my word.”
She stares at me for a moment, then she whispers, “This is crazy.” But I can hear the excitement bubbling up in her voice and see it building up in the smile she’s trying to bite back.
I lock my other arm around her, too, and bury my face in her neck. “Good crazy, though. We all win this way. You can spend all the time you want with Parker and all the time you want with me. Hell, if you want to, you and Parker can plan the wedding. I’d marry you tomorrow. The engagement timeline is completely up to you. I don’t need any time to consider it. My mind’s made up. I’ve seen what’s out there, and I choose you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gemma
I know he’s crazy.
Right?
Yes, definitely crazy.
But…
No, he’s entirely crazy. I just like what he’s selling, so I want to entertain it.
At least I’m honest enough with myself to admit it, I guess.
There’s no way we’re ready to get married, but he’s kind of right. Being engaged isn’t an irrevocable step. People get engaged all the time. Hell, I’ve been engaged once, and it didn’t end in marriage.
And the guy sucked, unlike this one.
If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but… what if it does?
Besides, it’s like he said—none of this happens without Parker’s blessing.
Parker’s sensible, so she’ll probably think it’s completely crazy. There’s every chance she’ll overrule it so I don’t have to.
“I haven’t lived with a man in a long time,” I murmur in the car on the way home.
We’re in my car this time, but I’m so distracted by Hayden’s crazy plan that I forget to tense up when we drive past the Hartley’s.
Not that I have to anymore, I guess.
If all goes according to Hayden’s plan, I won’t even be their neighbor anymore.
“I don’t want to sell my house yet,” I say suddenly, looking over at him as I slow down in front of my driveway. “What if it doesn’t work out and I want to move back in?”