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"I have a daughter, Jax," I remind him quietly

"So? What does Hope have to do with this?"

"I have a kid Dating irl who has no responsibilities I have a hu, a mini person who lives, breathes, eats, and needs loads of attention," I tell hi and turnsin and kissingthere, "I know this, and I’ht now If I wanted to be with someone else, I could be, but I’m not I want this I want you and Hope"

"You scaremy forehead into his chest

"You scareit over his heart "Do you feel that?" he asks as his heart beats against the palm of my hand

"Yes"

"Twice, you’ve taken it The first tiainst you when you walked out of those woods alone, I gave it to you Today, when you pulled away fros to you, so it willingly ith you when you left It’s yours, Ellie, if you want it"

"You’re really good at this kind of thing, aren’t you?" I ask hi my eyes to meet his

"Never done anything like this before," he confesses,my breath catch and my body melt deeper into his

"There’s so ain while locking my jaw I don’t knohy I haven’t told hiuess I do When people find out she’s not hter, they have a tendency to act like she shouldn’t call hter They don’t understand that she’s ive birth to her, but I have taken care of her since she was just a feeeks old I was the one who endured sleepless nights, endless diaper changes, and bottle feedings I was there the first time she rolled over, her first step I will be there for every first she has She’s the one person in this world who loves me, really loves hter future, and now she’sabout ti his hand aroundthe look of longing and opti a little harder

"There’s alwaysthat will always be available, one resource that will never diminish We have time, Ellie I just need a chance"

Could I do that? Give hiain by someone I care about? I don’t know if I can, but , when I think about not seeing if, for once in my life, I can have what other people have, a future with someone, someone in my corner and at ets bumpy I know Hope adores him, and he’s someone I trust with her

"I want to try, but we have to take this slow I haven’t…" I pause, taking a breath "It’s been a long tiain, looking away, and say, "Until I can get a place for hten onet aard," I finish on a whisper then s from the look of raw determination in his eyes

"Just tellthis, that I’ht this pull I feel anyht before his lips crashes down on ue thrusts into htly, feeling theacross ht above my ass The other drifts into my hair, where he wraps it in a fist so he can deepen the kiss before slowly pulling back, nippingfor breath When I openthe happiness I see in their hazel depths

I just hope he doesn’t regret this I’ve never dated--okay, I did in high school, but it o different boys, and all we ever did was kiss, so I don’t even think that really counts Right after high school, I started cosy school and worked full ti that tiranted custody of Hope, so I was left with even less opportunity, and I didn’t want to bring randohter

Now, I’ experience What the hell do I know about dating a guy like hihis hands on the outsides of rasped the bar of the stroller in front of hter around the bar so I don’t fall onhthe area where the fla, which she is

"Let’s just come back here when she wakes up," I tell Jax over my shoulder