“And why is that?”

“Because it’s basic instinct to protect those we love.”

I swallowed, and then swallowed again. My eyes blinked rapidly. But nothing I did woke me from the dream I was in. “Yeah…that makes sense,” I said breathlessly, trying not to focus on his words too much in case he didn’t mean them the way I’d taken them.

His chest started to heave faster, giving away his panicked breaths. And then he turned his head and stared back at the sky, but I couldn’t look away. “I just thought you should know that.”

“Know what, exactly? That you want to protect me because you care?” I sought clarity. I needed the words to be spelled out for me before I allowed myself to believe they’d actually been spoken. Without a blatant confession, there was nothing to prove to me that I hadn’t made it all up in my head.

His mouth opened and closed a few times before he cleared his throat. “No. Yes. I mean…yes, that’s why. But no, because it’s so much more than that.” As he struggled to find his words, I turned onto my side to face him, and then patiently waited for him to speak again. “So much more…”

I reached my hand out and rested it on his chest, feeling his heart pounding against it. He covered it with his and then let his head fall to the side so that we were eye to eye once more. “Just say it, Axel. It’s me. Why are you acting so scared?”

“I’m scared for what this means. For what will happen after I say it.”

I lifted myself onto my elbow and leaned into him, pressing my lips against his. I heard his breath hitch seconds before his warmth enveloped me. He released my hand on his chest and used it to cup my face, holding me there for a few moments longer.

“What was that for?” he whispered, breathing heavily against me.

“It’s me, Axel. Me. What are you so afraid of?”

His fingers laced through my hair as he held the side of my face, making sure I didn’t back too far away. “You’re so young, Bree. Sometimes I forget that. I forget that you’ve never experienced certain things. And then I realize it, and it worries me. What happens when you get out into the great big world, and you’re doing it all on your own? What happens to me when you make friends? When guys flirt with you, or when you find that you’re attracted to other people? What happens when you outgrow me?”

I climbed over him, straddling his hips, and then fisted the front of his shirt to pull him upright. He sat up willingly, although I could tell by his dumbfounded expression just how shocked he was. He remained silent as I adjusted myself on his lap until we were eye level with one another. And then I cupped his cheeks and pulled his face close enough so I could feel his breath across my lips.

“I’m not your ex. I have no desire to explore any other relationship. Not now, and not ever. There’s not a damn thing you need to worry about when it comes to me. Don’t be scared to tell me anything, because I won’t break your heart, Axel. Maybe I am young and inexperienced, but that doesn’t mean I’m a child. I think I’ve had more to deal with than most adults your age. I’m not gonna suddenly fall for some random guy who smiles at me, when I have you.”

His grip on my sides tightened slightly before he rested his hands on my hips. “And what about when you go off to college and I’m here? How will you handle the distance?”

“I’ve actually been thinking about the community college.”

“No,” he said sternly. “I won’t let you settle.”

“I’m not settling, Axel. I don’t know what degree I want. It makes sense to take out smaller tuition loans for my basic courses until I figure that out. That will give us two years before having to make any kind of decision about where we live.”

“Where we live? What about where you live in the meantime? I don’t want you at your mom’s house that long.”

I let my hands fall to his shoulders and studied his eyes for a moment, waiting until they softened. “I thought I could take early classes at the college and then work part time at night to earn some money. I could find a cheap apartment or something.”

He snickered and leaned forward, pressing a light, quick kiss to my lips. Damn, it was becoming easier and easier to do that. “Or something… Is that really what you want to do? Stay here and go to the local college? You want to stay with me?”

“Always.”

The shy grin on his face widened into a heart-stopping smile.

“As long as that’s what you want to do, of course.” For some reason, I felt silly being so open with him, assuming he’d want me there. “I mean, we’ve never really talked about the future or anything. I don’t even know how you feel, or if we want the same things out of life.”

“I’ll tell you what I want, and then we can go from there. How’s that?” He waited for me to nod before saying anything else, probably experiencing the same nerves that I did. “If you want to stay here for two years, I want you under my roof. Whether that’s this house or we move to another one, I don’t care, I just want you with me. And then after you pick the university you want to attend, I’ll find a job at a school there.”

“I like that plan,” I said with a grin.

“Bree, I see myself marrying you, raising a family with you, and growing old together. That’s honestly what’s taken me a month to work out. I was scared you weren’t ready to hear that. Or that you’d realize how big the world is and want to take advantage of your freedom after high school.”

“I only want you, Axel. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Not now, and not in twenty years. You became my confidante without even realizing it. Then you were my friend. You’re my best friend. What we have isn’t physical or perverse, it’s real. It’s honest. And it’s so damn good. The best thing I’ve ever had.”

He lifted his hand to my face and wiped off a tear I hadn’t even known was there. “What’s this for?”

“I’m happy. I don’t think I’ve ever cried happy tears before.”

“Tell me why you’re happy, Bree.”

I didn’t need to think of the answer, and I had not one ounce of hesitation. “Because I’m in love with my best friend. And I think he loves me, too.”

“Think?” he asked, pretending to be offended. “Then, baby, I haven’t done my job right if you aren’t sure about how I feel. I love you more than history.”

My laugh hiccupped in my throat. “And I love you more than furniture.”

“I love you more than Romeo loved Juliette.”

“So cliché, Axel. So cliché. I love you more than Jack loved Rose.”

He cocked his head, clearly confused.

“Titanic. He loved her so much he let her have the wooden door to float on while he froze to death in the icy water. It ended up killing him. Probably not the best idea, and I’m sure he regretted that decision as his frozen body sank with the ship, but eh…it was out of love. A lot of love. And I love you more.”

“Damn, baby, we sure do love each other a lot,” he teased before I melted my lips with his, pulling his body flush to mine. His heart thudded against my chest, matching the rhythm of my own.

His hand tightened on my hip, the other held my face to his. After a second, he pulled back slightly, and I thought the kiss was over. But then the warmth of his tongue graze the seam of my lips, and it caused me to gasp in surprise. Axel used the opportunity to push further, invading my mouth completely.

I was swept up in the storm of his passion, my mind hazy with lust. Tingles spread through me, coating my skin in chills. I had lost all sense of everything as my hips began to roll into him on their own. Moans and grunts mingled in the night air, creating our own soundtrack as our bodies collided.

Our lips separated and heated breaths filled the space between them as we both fought to gain control. Yet it seemed impossible to do—our bodies rubbing together felt too good to concentrate on anything else.