“Yeah. Some people shouldn’t be parents.” I sat back and thought about the words the psychic had told me about my dad. “You know, I think I’m lucky that my dad wasn’t in my life as well. He was a meth addict. I don’t know if I would have wanted to deal with that.” My voice trailed off.
“It makes you wonder doesn’t it?”
“What?” I looked at him, curiously.
“It makes you wonder if all the things we complain or worry about are actually blessings in disguise. Maybe we should just be happy with the lot we have and appreciate it.”
“You could be right,” I laughed. “I had you next door to me all these years, yet my heart always yearned for someone else. Someone who is great but not the one for me.”
“Oh?” He grinned at me. “Who is the one for you?”
“I think I’ll keep that a secret,” I laughed.
“You little terror.” He started to tickle me and I could barely breathe.
“Okay, okay, it’s you, Luke. It’s you. It’s always been you.” I giggled. “I love you, Luke Bryan. I will always love you.” He cuts off my words with his lips and, as we rolled around on the grass, I wondered at the fact that it had taken me so long to realize that he was the man of my dreams. “So are you going to tell me why you bought this house?”
“I knew that you felt like you had to stay here to support your mom. I knew that as long as you thought your mom needed you to help with the rent you would stay. I wanted you to be able to live your live Lexi. I wanted you to go and leave out your dreams. I wanted you to feel like you could do whatever you wanted to without feeling like you had to stay because of money.”
“I don’t know what to say Luke. I don’t think anyone has ever loved me or cared about me as much as you do.” I felt fresh tears glisten in my eyes.
“I want the world for you Lexi.” He kissed me again and stared into the very depths of my soul. I felt my heart singing out in joy that I had been so lucky to have found the best man in the world.
“So are you going to tell Bryce?” I questioned him as we stopped kissing.
“I guess I have to tell Bryce and Shelby.” He smiled and then I groaned as it hit me.
“OMG, you know what this means, don’t you?”
“No, what?”
“We’re kinda brother and sister.”
“Oh, Lexi.” He grinned. “We are nothing like brother and sister.” And then his hand crept up to my breast again. “And in a few minutes I’m going to show you why.”
“Luke! I jumped up, squealing. Not outside.” I ran away from him, laughing and I heard Luke and Bongo chasing after me.
“I’m coming for you, Lexi.” Luke grunted as he chased me. “I’m going to have my wicked way with you, Lexi.”
“I’m waiting.” I stopped and winked as he caught up with me.
“Good.” Luke laughed as he grabbed a hold of me. “I’ve been waiting my whole life to hear those words.”
“Yeah?” I smiled and he pushed me up against the wall.
“Well, since I was thirteen at least.”
“Just thirteen?”
“Well, when you know you know.” He stared into my eyes as he spoke and I felt his breath against my lips as he talked. He turned me on and it took everything in me to keep my hands off of him.
“I’m glad you waited for me to get my act together.” I whispered and I felt his lips against mine as I talked.
“I wasn’t going anywhere.” His hands clasped mine and he blew on my mouth softly.
“I don’t think I would have let you go anywhere,” I laughed lightly. “But don’t you ever die or make me think you’ve died, do you hear me?”
“I—”
“—I can not have another near breakdown like that.” I stared into his eyes, willing him to see my open heart and soul. “I couldn’t bare it.”
“I won’t.” Our noses touched and I held my breath. Every nerve ending in me was tingling in anticipation.
“Good.” I smiled and pushed my tongue out to lick his lips.
“I wrote a song for you.” He looked at me, nervously and sheepishly, and he pulled away from me slightly. I moaned at the loss of his lips. “I remember once you told me how much you wanted someone to write a song for you.”
“You wrote a song for me?” I looked at him, teasingly.
“Yes.” His face flushed red and I stroked his chin.
“Sing it for me. Please.” I ran my hands over his jaw and he groaned.
“If you keep touching me like that, Lexi, I won’t be able to do anything.”
“Sorry.” I grinned. “Sing me my song please.”
He cleared his throat and began:
Best friends
That’s what we are
Best friends
That’s what we’ll always be.
There is no me without you.
There is no me without you.
I’ll wait a hundred years for your heart
You have to know mine won’t start
Without you.
Cos, there is no me without you.
There is no me without you.
I’ve walked a thousand years for your smile
I’ve loved you since you were a child.
Always and forever.
There is no me without you.
There is no me without you.
Did you know that sometimes I can close my eyes
And feel your soul in mine
I’ll never let you go.
There is no me without you.
There is no me without you.
Lexi, sometimes in life
There are things worth dying for,
People worth fighting for,
A love worth trying for,
And I will never walk out that door, without you.
Cos, there is no me without you.
There will never be a me without you.
I can’t live without you.
I can’t see without you.
I can’t hear without you.
I just can’t be without you.
Don’t let me live my life without you.
“Oh Luke,” I cried out, “That was beautiful.”
“I love you, Lexi. That will never stop. I will do anything for you. Always remember that.”
“Oh Luke. I’ll never forget.”
“I’m your albatross, Lexi.”
“You never explained what they meant,” I laughed anxiously, worried he had finally lost it.
“Albatrosses mate for life. Once they have that one special mate, that’s it. They’re done. You’re my albatross, Lexi. And I’m yours.”