Read Online The Years Between by Leanne Davis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leanne Davis
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alone in her father’s house, without Will. Or he’d be dead. But not the general. There was no way, was there? Was she really here, with him? Was she really happy? Was she really loved? How? How could this become her happy ending? After everything else, how did they get here?
She turned her head into his chest and pulled her legs up closer to her torso. Then she shifted and crawled completely onto his lap. The tears filled her eyes and choked her throat. She felt him looking down at her, startled by her sudden movement, while ignoring the beauty of the show. Her hands clutched his shoulders and he moved to accommodate her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and twisted his shirt fabric in her fists. His hands moved to hold her closer against his big, solid, warm, and alive chest.
“Jessie? Don’t you want to watch the show?” His tone was quiet and concerned. She clutched him, half turning, until she was completely hidden from the crowd. She shook her head against his chest. His hand came up to stroke her hair. Her breath was warm by the strange cocoon she made against him.
The show ended and the crowd began to move. He started to shift, but she panicked and clutched his shoulders, trying to hold him there, forever. Couldn’t they stay like this together, safe and happy? How often would this feeling consume her so fully again? Never. It had never before. So why would it ever again? It was her supernova. It was the first time she could ever consciously remember feeling that way.
“Don’t move,” she said, her mouth pressed into his chest. He might have thought she lost her mind, but then, he was also used to that with her.
He quit moving and didn’t say anything. His arms still flexed, holding her against his body. His hands held her shoulders as he rubbed her. His head was bent down, with his face close to hers. The crowd dispersed and the lights of the sky faded. The night air started to chill. Still, she sat there quiet, calm, safe, and happy. Minutes past.
His hand came up and slid onto her face. His index finger traced her cheek, feeling the damp wetness there. He finally, gently, tilted her head back enough to look down at her. He leaned down and his lips touched her cheek, and the dampness. She pressed her cheek into his lips and the gesture, so sweet and small, was huge and grand, making her tears fall harder.
“What happened?” he asked softly, his lips moving against her temple.
“I-I’m… happy,” she said, shaking her head, knowing how stupid she sounded. She’d been clutching at him like a helpless newborn for a ridiculous amount of time; and all over a stupid outdoor fireworks show that a thousand other people witnessed around them.
His laugh was as soft as the breeze. He suddenly pressed her even closer to him, his arms flexing around her. “You’re happy?”
She took in a shuddering breath and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt it before.”
He shifted and lifted her chin with his hand to look into his eyes, sighing deeply. “I see,” he said while his eyes roved over her face. “And you were crying because you’re afraid it will end. That it won’t last?”
“It won’t. I won’t feel it again.”
“You will, Jessie.” Will’s tone was insistent. “You will feel this again. I promise you. It won’t be the last time. Okay? This won’t disappear.”
“I’m not used to it. It isn’t a very trustworthy feeling.”
“Because it feels good inside of you for once?”
She nodded slowly. He nodded with her. He smiled and her heart shrunk and expanded to hold it. “I wish I knew the things you needed to hear. But I don’t. Not really. But I do know it all comes down to, I love you, Jessie. You’re my beginning and end now. That’s it for me.”
“I doubted it. I doubted if I really knew what love was. That you could really love me. Jessie Bains. The things I’ve done. The things I am. The things that have happened to me…”
“Are all the things
She turned her head into his chest and pulled her legs up closer to her torso. Then she shifted and crawled completely onto his lap. The tears filled her eyes and choked her throat. She felt him looking down at her, startled by her sudden movement, while ignoring the beauty of the show. Her hands clutched his shoulders and he moved to accommodate her. She felt like she couldn’t breathe and twisted his shirt fabric in her fists. His hands moved to hold her closer against his big, solid, warm, and alive chest.
“Jessie? Don’t you want to watch the show?” His tone was quiet and concerned. She clutched him, half turning, until she was completely hidden from the crowd. She shook her head against his chest. His hand came up to stroke her hair. Her breath was warm by the strange cocoon she made against him.
The show ended and the crowd began to move. He started to shift, but she panicked and clutched his shoulders, trying to hold him there, forever. Couldn’t they stay like this together, safe and happy? How often would this feeling consume her so fully again? Never. It had never before. So why would it ever again? It was her supernova. It was the first time she could ever consciously remember feeling that way.
“Don’t move,” she said, her mouth pressed into his chest. He might have thought she lost her mind, but then, he was also used to that with her.
He quit moving and didn’t say anything. His arms still flexed, holding her against his body. His hands held her shoulders as he rubbed her. His head was bent down, with his face close to hers. The crowd dispersed and the lights of the sky faded. The night air started to chill. Still, she sat there quiet, calm, safe, and happy. Minutes past.
His hand came up and slid onto her face. His index finger traced her cheek, feeling the damp wetness there. He finally, gently, tilted her head back enough to look down at her. He leaned down and his lips touched her cheek, and the dampness. She pressed her cheek into his lips and the gesture, so sweet and small, was huge and grand, making her tears fall harder.
“What happened?” he asked softly, his lips moving against her temple.
“I-I’m… happy,” she said, shaking her head, knowing how stupid she sounded. She’d been clutching at him like a helpless newborn for a ridiculous amount of time; and all over a stupid outdoor fireworks show that a thousand other people witnessed around them.
His laugh was as soft as the breeze. He suddenly pressed her even closer to him, his arms flexing around her. “You’re happy?”
She took in a shuddering breath and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt it before.”
He shifted and lifted her chin with his hand to look into his eyes, sighing deeply. “I see,” he said while his eyes roved over her face. “And you were crying because you’re afraid it will end. That it won’t last?”
“It won’t. I won’t feel it again.”
“You will, Jessie.” Will’s tone was insistent. “You will feel this again. I promise you. It won’t be the last time. Okay? This won’t disappear.”
“I’m not used to it. It isn’t a very trustworthy feeling.”
“Because it feels good inside of you for once?”
She nodded slowly. He nodded with her. He smiled and her heart shrunk and expanded to hold it. “I wish I knew the things you needed to hear. But I don’t. Not really. But I do know it all comes down to, I love you, Jessie. You’re my beginning and end now. That’s it for me.”
“I doubted it. I doubted if I really knew what love was. That you could really love me. Jessie Bains. The things I’ve done. The things I am. The things that have happened to me…”
“Are all the things
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