Fight Me(74)

I stare at my mom and throw a kiss down on her cheek. “You are the smartest person I know,” I say with a smile.

Mom laughs and glances over my shoulder. When she makes eye contact with me again, she leans in and says, “Remember. It’s what you fight for that matters, Jake.” Then, Mom leans way up on her tip toes and kisses me on my cheek and turns and walks away.

I glance over my shoulder and see the most beautiful, breathtaking sight. Erin is standing in the hallway behind me wearing the most stunning navy blue dress I’ve ever seen. The sight of her takes my breath away, and I’m rendered speechless. The look on her face shows her nerves, her fears. I want nothing more than to run to her and sweep her up into my arms. But, I need to wait. I have a few things I need to say first.





Chapter Eighteen


Erin

I am scared to death as I walk up behind Mrs. Stevens and Jake. My heart feels like it might actually jump out of my chest and start running around on the ground at my feet. He hasn’t seen me yet, but Mrs. Stevens knows I’m there. She sort of had a hand at making sure Jake was in the hallway at this exact moment so we could talk before the wedding. I see her give Jake a kiss on the cheek and turn and walk away. It’s just me and Jake in the hallway now.

When he turns around, my heart stops. Literally. He’s so devastatingly handsome in his suit. I’m so excited to see him standing in front of me, but I can’t help but wonder if he’s at all happy to see me. Will he tell me to get lost? I have no clue, and I’m afraid of what comes next.

I slowly walk towards Jake, my eyes locked on his the whole time. His face gives nothing away to how he’s feeling. “Hey,” I finally say as I bite down on my bottom lip.

“Hey.”

“Listen, Jake, I need to apologize -” I start, but Jake cuts me off.

“No. You don’t need to apologize. I need to apologize and explain the conversation you overheard. Travis was asked to join the men’s softball league this summer. I did it last year and loved it, but with working every other weekend, it made it difficult and I had to have my own replacement every time I worked. I was telling him to enjoy it for a while and then move on to another hobby if this wasn’t his thing. That’s all. I wasn’t talking about you or any other woman, I swear to you, Erin.”

“I know,” I whisper as I take another step forward. I could reach out and touch Jake if I wanted, and man, do I really want to.

His brows wrinkle and his face takes on a confused look. “You do?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“How?”

I give him a small smile as I answer. “Because I don’t believe that’s who you really are. I don’t believe that you would have intentionally said those things to hurt me. Even though I said it, I don’t believe that you’re using me until something better comes along.”

“I’m not, Erin. At all. And what I said last night on the sidewalk,” Jake pauses and closes his eyes as if pained by the thought of what he said last night, “that was the farthest from the truth. You have the kindest, purest heart I’ve ever known. You make me want to be a better man.”

“You are a better man, Jake. To me, you are the best man, and I’m not referring to the wedding. A very wise woman once told me that fighting meant passion and that you were alive. Fighting represents desire and love. You are the man I want to be with. You’re the man I’ve fallen in love with,” I say, my voice dropping to just above a whisper as I say the words I’ve wanted to say for almost two weeks now.

I wait for what feels like forever for Jake to reply, smile, nod, acknowledge what I said - something!

“Did you just say that you love me?” he asks with that ‘I’m a cop and give nothing away’ look on his face.

“Yes,” I whisper so quietly I almost don’t hear it. I’m silent as I wait for him to say something, anything. I start to brace myself for the pain that is about to grip a hold of my heart. Fear that my love is not reciprocated grips me tightly in my chest and makes it nearly impossible to breathe.

“That actually works out really well for me, because I am so fucking in love with you, too. I love you so much I can’t imagine fighting with anyone else. It’s you, Erin. You’re the one,” Jake says as he closes the gap between us and pulls me into his arms. He latches on so tightly, picking me up, hanging on to me like he’s afraid to ever let go.

Jake’s lips are on mine before I even have time to properly process what he just said to me. It has only been twenty-four hours since I felt his lush lips on mine, but it was the longest twenty-four hours of my life. I need Jake like I need air. And now that I’m back in his arms, I feel like I can finally breathe again.