Booktree.ngIt-Starts-with-Us-Colleen-Hoover

Atlas clears his throat, leaning forward. A subtle smile materializes.
“Back to your journal,” he says. “I wondered if you knew I could see into
your bedroom window back then, because after that night, you left that light
on a hell of a lot.”
I laugh, glad he’s lightening the mood. “You didn’t have a television. I
wanted to give you something to watch.”
He groans. “Lily, you have to let me read the rest.”
“No.”
“You locked me in a closet today. Letting me read your journals would
be a good way to apologize for that.”
“I thought you weren’t offended.”
“Maybe it’s a delayed offense.” He begins to nod slowly. “Yeah…
starting to feel it now. I’m really offended.”
I’m laughing when Emmy begins to work up a cry across the hall. I sigh
because I don’t want to hang up, but I’m also not the mom who can let her
child cry it out. “Emmy’s waking up. I have to go. But you owe me a date.”
“Name the time,” he says.
“I’m off on Sundays, so a Saturday night might be good.”
“Tomorrow is Saturday,” he says. “But we’re going slow.”
“I mean… that’s pretty slow if we’re counting from the first day we met.
That puts a lot of years between meeting you and going on a first date with
you.”
“Six o’clock?”
I smile. “Six is perfect.”
As soon as I say that, Atlas squeezes his eyes shut for two seconds.
“Wait. I can’t tomorrow. Shit. We’re hosting an event; they need me at the
restaurant. Sunday?”
“I have Emmy Sunday. I’d rather wait before bringing her around you.”
“I get that,” Atlas says. “Next Saturday?”
“That’ll give me time to line up someone to watch her.”
Atlas grins. “It’s a date, then.” He stands up and begins walking through
his bedroom. “You’re off on Sundays, right? Can I call you this Sunday?”
“When you say ‘call,’ do you mean video chat? I want to be prepared
this time.”
“You couldn’t be unprepared if you tried,” he says. “And yes, it’ll be a
FaceTime. Why would I waste time with a phone call when I can look at
you?”