It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

Chapter Twenty
Lily
It’s challenging being the florist for a wedding and a guest. I’ve been running
all day to make sure the flowers at the venue were set up the way Lucy
wanted them. And on top of that, we’re closing early for the wedding, so
Serena needed help getting all the deliveries completed and onto the truck.
By the time Atlas makes it to my apartment to pick me up, I’m not even
close to being ready. I just received a text from him asking if he should come
up. I’m sure he’s cautious because everything is so new with us, and he
doesn’t know who might be here if he were to knock on the door, and if I’d
want them to know Atlas is my date to the wedding.
I was hesitant to invite him to the wedding for that very reason, but I’m
confident no one at Lucy’s wedding would even know Ryle. We run in
different circles. And on the off chance they do know Ryle, and it might get
back to him that I was with someone, the risk is worth the reward. I’ve been
looking forward to this night since Atlas agreed to come with me.
Come up, I’m still getting ready.
Atlas knocks at my door moments later. When I open the door to let him
in, my eyes feel like they might double in size like they do in the cartoons.
“Wow.” I’m staring at him all dressed up in his black designer suit. He stands
in the hallway for longer than I’d normally make someone wait before
inviting them in because I forget basic things like hospitality when I’m in his
presence.
He’s holding a bouquet, but it isn’t flowers. It’s cookies.
He hands them to me. “Figured you get enough flowers,” he says. He
leans in and kisses my cheek, and I want to tilt my face just enough so that
his lips land on mine, but hopefully I won’t have to be patient for much
longer.
“These are perfect,” I say, motioning for him to enter. “Come in. I need,
like, fifteen minutes to get dressed.”