started with a lie ➳ raura revised

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ross keeps on laughing and saying, "Really? Really? Really?"

This is the most crazy I've ever seen him. He won't shut up as he holds me, trying to pull me as close as possible to him. Of course, I don't mind his idiocy and just smile into his shoulder and hug him back, slipping my hands around his waist.

"Your words...they make me so insanely happy," Ross confesses, hugging me close and tight still. "You have no idea, baby." "I'm sorry it took so long," I say, my voice mu led by his shoulder. 

"I hope you didn't wait long."

"Nope." He's quiet for a stretch of time. "Really?"

"I'm going to punch you."

"Okay." I can almost imagine him grinning as he says it. "It's just...before, you dodged it a lot and I thought for sure I was going too fast and you didn't like me to the extent of love and I was ready to go home with just the memory of today. This day alone was enough for me."

I feel my lower lip trembling. "I...I didn't want to get hurt. And I don't want to end up hurting you either, Lee." I bury my face into him. "I don't care anymore. If you hurt me, if you run, I don't care. I'm happy enough for today, too. I won't ask for any more, I promise."

Ross brings one hand up and plays with the ends of my hair as I lean into him. "I know this won't be easy. Loving each other is going to be rough and may take a while but, can you believe in me? I will fight for you, I swear, Laura Marano."

I kiss his chest. "I already believe in you, Ross."

He lets out a long breath as if to process everything. Slowly, he says, "Really?"

I pull away and push his chest away before I'm tempted to crawl back into his arms. I smack his forearm playfully. "No. I changed my mind."

He frowns and pretends to be hurt. "Cruel."

"So is you repeating that word. I've begun to hate that word," I say, crossing my arms as I sit criss cross across from him. "And you."

"Okay, I'll stop," Ross says, a big grin plastered onto his face. I could get used to staring at that huge smile all day. It makes me feel warm and like I'm as radiant as the sun. "But Laura...really?" He looks serious this time.

I look down at my shoes and my shirt and at his shirt and his matching shoes and I stare at him, no humor in my face. My cheeks redden as I whisper, "Really."

He leans in as quick as the wind and plants a kiss on my lips. Ross moves away quickly and stares. One. Two. Three. And then he's back and kisses me too quick again and I can't even move because he's backed away again.

"I am in love with a girl that's too good for me," he whispers.

"And I'm in love with a stupid idiot that bugs me to the ends of this earth," I say. He looks up, surprised at my words either because I said I loved him or because I called him stupid but I lean and kiss him before he speaks. "I love him nonetheless."

"He loves you too," Ross says, smiling down at me as I stay leaned in close to his face. He squishes my face in his hands like at the diner. "He loves you so much." And then we're kissing again, lost in our own little world.

After who knows how long, he backs away from me and sits back in his spot. He takes my hands in his and he tells me, "Close your eyes."

"Why?" I don't want to close my eyes. I want to stare at this wonderful, amazing, sweet, tender, nice, cute, funny, adorable, crazy—more than me, kiss-stealing interruption-expert forever.