All Along | ✓

Chapter Thirty-Four

He nods slowly, as if digesting all that, "Monday is salad. Tuesday is takeout. Wednesday is burgers. Thursday is pasta. Friday is something new. I can remember that."

I tilt my head. "Why would you need to remember that?"

"So that I'm prepared to help whenever I'm over. Or so I can bring over drinks or dessert to match the dinner." He explains as if it's obvious.

I can't help myself. Ducking down, I press my lips against his in a long, lingering kiss. "I love you. That's adorable." I kiss him again.

We I pull away, his eyes remain closed for a moment before they flutter open and he stares up at me in a sort of daze. "I'm so fúcking in love with you, Luna baby."

I grin and step back. "Good. Now let's go, I can't be late for work."

Oli obediently follows me out of my room and into the living room where I collect my bag for work. He opens the front door and waits as I make sure I have everything before stepping outside. He follows after, shutting the door behind him.

I lock the door then turn to look up at him. I hold my hand out, "Can I drive?"

He lifts a brow, "You want to?"

Nodding quickly, I grin, "Don't you want to see the improvement I've made since the last time you saw me drive?"

He lowers his head so that our faces are mere inches apart. "Well I would expect nothing short of perfect driving after ten years." His nose brushes mine, "Your dad teach you well?"

I nod just slightly, leaning into him when his hands fall to grip my waist. "Yeah, we had lessons every Sunday, remember?"

"I do. Because you would call me after every lesson and ramble to me about how much you were improving and how good you were getting," He gets this far away look in his eyes as he remembers. "I remember wanting nothing more than to see for myself. To teach you myself."

I lift my hands and rest them on his neck, "You still hold a lot of guilt for leaving, don't you, Oli?"

"How can I not?" He whispers.

I hesitate for a moment before admitting. "I used to be upset that you left me. But now I'm glad that you did."

Hurt flashes across his face, "Why?" He grumbles lowly, gripping me a little tighter as if he's worried he'll lose me.

"Because if we had spent the last decade around each other, I don't know if we would have gotten to this point. You would have watched me grow up literally right in front of you... I don't think you would have ever seen me as more than your kid best friend. But the time apart gave you the chance to separate the young Luna that was your best friend and... me."

"That's still you, Luna," His voice is gruff when he speaks, "But you're right. Now I see you as this smart, beautiful, confident, and capable woman who I am so fúcking in love with. You're everything to me, Little One, and it killed me to be away from you for so long. But I'm never ever going to be apart from you again, you hear me? This is it. You are it for me, Luna baby."

"You mean that?" I ask hopefully.

"With every bone in my body. I'm 30 years old, I'm not in this for fun. When I say I love you, Luna, that means I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Oli tells me lowly, staring into my as if to make sure I believe him.

My heart soars at his words. "I love you. So much. I want everything with you. Everything has always been better with you, my entire life. I want that feeling - this feeling - forever."