Between You and Me✔️

Chapter 39

Yesterday was so depressing. All alone in the home. Where was Tristan? Where was Zee? Both of them started back classes tomorrow. Where did things stand with her and Tristan? Was it over? How could she live with him and see him every day and her heart break over and over again?

She did not do anything the rest of yesterday except watch television, feeling numb from thinking about her Gigi.

Back to her routine of breakfast all alone while watching television. While sitting there watching Tristan's favorite show, Star, and finishing her cereal she heard someone at the door. She didn't have her phone near to check the camera but whoever it was used a key.

She held her breath anticipating who it was when she saw Tristan walk around the corner. He stood there and gazed at her. She slowly exhaled the breath she was holding.

Tristan was her dream guy. Her everything. Her happy ever after, if he wanted to be.

Tristan stood there, not moving, watching her, his dark eyes seemed ever darker. His face was still like a statue, frozen in time. What was he thinking and why was he looking at her that way? All she knew was her heartbeat raced seeing him and she felt like she would explode in a ball of flames if he did not speak soon.

"I'm sorry," he finally said breaking the cold energy in the room. "I shouldn't have walked out on you like that."

This was a start. Still, things felt different now that he was here. She wanted to pour her heart out to him, and he still felt so cold.

"I had a lot to think about...and one of the things I needed to think through was my feelings for you. Feeling that I have had for a long time for you."

Now her heart seemed to stop as she listened.

"I'm in love with you, Johanna."

That was not what she expected but she was so happy to hear it. She jumped from the sofa and rushed over to him, jumping on him, wrapped her legs around him as his arms wrapped around her. His laugh was music to her ears and she planted kisses all over his face.

"Say that to me again."

He chuckled at that, one arm wrapped around her waist, and the other came up to softly caress her cheek. "I love you, Jo. Will you forgive me for walking away like a coward?"

"Yes." She planted a kiss on his lips. "I love you too."

"I know, I heard you the first time. That's part of the reason I became so afraid." He pried her off him, helping her place her feet on the floor. "Come on, let's sit and talk."

The only thing she was interested in was staying in Tristan's arms, staring into his eyes and kissing those lips. Having spent time apart from him, not knowing if they would still be together was torture. Tristan was not perfect, but she did not expect him to be. She was working on herself as well. They were still young, they were supposed to figure this out together.

They sat on the sofa and he took her hands. "I think I ran away because I was afraid of what I was feeling. You scared me when you said those words. I felt like, I wanted you so much in that moment, but then I didn't understand what I was feeling. I wanted to consume you...and then getting interrupted by my mother...I kind of went into shock about everything. Us. My issues with my mom. My trauma from my father."

She rubbed his face because she could understand all the things he was going through. It was not the same with her father, but it was a trauma that they could blame on their parents.

"Then I did like he did, left." Tristan pulled his gaze up to her eyes, not breaking their stare. "I promise to never do that again."

"You can't promise me that. I just want you to talk to me and work through your feelings. I get it, this is all new to you. To me as well. I don't know how to be a girlfriend."

"But you're great at it anyway."

"Am I? Am I not the clingy, naive, over-sexualized girl that always wants to jump your bones?"

He laughed at that. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "You know I want to be with you as much as you want it to happen."

"Okay, let's go-"

"I'm serious Jo, come on listen..." He pulled her hands to his lips and kissed them. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."

It was still strange hearing those words from the guy who seemed to have no emotions when she first met him. So cold toward her. Bossy like a big brother. Never looked at her that way until she made the first move.

"When did you start to fall for me?" she asked, her hand playing in his braids.

Tristan bit his lower lip but did not hesitate to answer. "That day in the park."

"What day? We go to the park a lot."

"That first day in the park."

This revelation shocked her. This was when he was being the mean, overbearing big brother to her.

"That day in the park...when I saw you with that little boy on the swing. I was watching, imagining it was our son you were pushing and giggling with."

This made her heart melt, that he was thinking those things about them.

"I wanted you in ways I never wanted any other girl, but it made me angry. I didn't want to feel that way. I did not want to get close to anyone. I kept pushing you away as you kept chipping away at my cold little heart. I was afraid. Someone like you...with me, I didn't deserve that."

"You deserve happiness," she said to him. "We all do."

"I know. I talked with my mother about it all night. About you and all the things I was feeling and she helped me come to terms with it. She likes you by the way, don't let her cold demeanor fool you. And having my mother see how I felt before I could even tell you...scared me even more."

She reached over to hold his face between her hands. "I don't want you to ever feel afraid. Not with me."

Tristan became quiet again and she let him have his thoughts.

"I want to marry you and have lots of babies."

Now she was the one to laugh. How did he go there already?

"I'm serious Jo," he said.

"So, are you proposing to me now?"

"No, not that, but I know you are who I want to be with for the rest of my life."

"Same. I mean, yes, I want to marry you...one day."

Tristan held her tighter, his lips meeting her in a passionate kiss. The type of kiss that always made her hot and bothered. She didn't even care that they were in the living room and Zee could walk in at any moment. Her hand slid up his shirt to rest on those chiseled abs.

He pulled away from their kiss.

"You really want me to make love to you?"

There was no doubt in her mind she wanted Tristan in every way.

"Yes."

He held her tight and stood up so fast she was glad she was wrapped around him.

"Then let's not waste another minute. All the things I have been dreaming about doing to you, I want to do them all to you. Twice."

She giggled at him as he carried her up the stairs.