That One Moment (Lost in London #2)(89)
She pulls away, reverently wiping away the tears falling freely down my face. “You could have just said all that earlier, ya know. Who knew My Hayden had such a flare for the dramatics?” she giggles.
God, she f*cking giggles.
She kisses me once more before pulling back and whispering in my ear the words that I’m finally ready to hear. The words that have the ability to bring me to my knees and raise me right back up.
“I love you too,” she says with a sigh.
I smirk.
She loves me too.
BARCA OR BUST
Hayden’s voice is loud and demanding. “You are out of your f*cking mind if you think you’re going to Barcelona with Vi. I mean it, Booker. This isn’t even up for discussion.”
“Who the bloody hell do you think you are coming into my house and barking orders around like you’re the boss? You’re right lucky I’m not skinning you alive, you f*cking wanker,” Booker snaps aggressively.
“Wanker?! Real mature.” Hayden looks at me, his grey eyes going wide like he’s asking me to step in and help. I just continue hiding my smile.
“Yes, Hayden, you’re a f*cking wanker. An old f*cking wanker and you’re not going to Barcelona with my sister,” Booker barks again.
“Booker…you would tread very carefully if you knew what was good for you.” Hayden’s tone is low and menacing.
“You think I’m afraid of you! What a laugh. Oi, are ya gonna thump me with your calculator? You f*cking nerdling.”
“Oh, go kick a f*cking ball. I’m taking Vi to Barcelona!”
“Think I should break this up?” I murmur under my breath to Gareth all the while attempting to hide my giggles.
His eyes alight with shocked amusement. “Hell no, this is the best farewell I’ve had so far! Let’s see who draws blood first!”
We’re seated at the end of the long wooden table in my dad’s kitchen, our chins propped on our hands as Hayden and Booker stand nose to nose at the opposite end. They are in the middle of an epic battle of wills for who gets to go with me to Barcelona. I cast my vote silently for Hayden because I feel badly about inviting Booker originally. And damn if I wouldn’t love a proper holiday with Hayden. It’s been three weeks since Theo and Leslie’s wedding, and I am more smitten with him now than I ever was before. There’s just something about a man uttering the words “I love you” while he swats your arse lovingly that makes everything inside of you go all warm and gooey.
“This is actually my house,” Dad finally interjects after he’s nearly licked the plate of Swedish pancakes I made special for Hayden’s visit today.
I hop up when I hear Bruce barking at the door. I let him in from his trot outside. He’s panting ferociously with huge strings of slobber hanging from his mouth. “Good dog,” I say as he nosedives for his water bowl. I squat down beside him and whisper in his ear, “What do you think of him, Bruce? Do you approve of my bulldozing bruiser of a boyfriend?”
Hayden’s heated gaze glances over at my words, clearly no longer listening to my brother who’s still chirping away. He watches me with that possessive sense of ownership that he gets every time he hears me call him that. It’s quite funny, actually…if it wasn’t so bloody sexy.
Bruce suddenly laps at my face happily, soaking my entire cheek. “I’ll take that as a yes,” I cringe and give him a hearty pet. Then I stride over to the sink to rinse my face, feeling Hayden’s eyes on me still.
“Vi, are there any more?” Tanner asks, carrying his plate over to the counter and picking around the dishes still scattered everywhere.
“They’re going with Gareth to Manchester. Sorry, Tan.”
He frowns. “Gareth gets everything.”
“Because he’s a bloody suck up,” Camden mumbles as he washes his hands in the sink next to me.
This makes me smile. Today was Hayden’s first proper Harris Sunday dinner. Gareth definitely helped clear the path for his re-entry into the Harris brothers’ good graces. Whatever Hayden said to him at Leslie’s wedding must have won him over because I’ve never seen him react to a boyfriend this well. Although, after this Barcelona battle, I’m quite certain Hayden will be on Booker’s shit list for quite some time.
“Oi!” I interrupt finally after having listened to this dreary argument for nearly twenty minutes now. “Enough. I’ve brought presents for everyone and I’d like to hand them out now if you’d all shut your gobs.”
Hayden and Booker’s heads both swerve to me. Booker’s expression looks positively psychotic. Hayden’s face is flushed red with anger, but his eyes heat with a different kind of fire when they land on mine. God he’s beautiful. And he loves me. I bite my lip to conceal my happy smile and stand to grab the large bag I brought over with me. Everyone settles back into their chairs, Booker still mumbling obscenities under his breath.
“So,” I start as Hayden takes the heavy bag from me and sets it on the table. I grin at him just as he pats my bottom subtly behind the table. “This is something kind of special that took some organising for me to get it all perfect. As you all know, I went through Mum’s cookbooks and basically claimed that entire box as my own. But what you don’t know is that it wasn’t just cookbooks in there.”