Page 52 of You're the Reason

“You really don’t eat sugar.”

“I didn’t eat sugar.” She lifted the cupcake in salute.

“Well then, I can’t wait to introduce you to a funnel cake at the Heritage Festival on the Fourth.” He froze. Why had he said that? Chicago streets where hundreds of people passed around them, where they didn’t know anyone, were one thing, but there was no way she wanted to hang around downtown Heritage with him. “I mean?—”

“I’d like that.” She took another bite, this one quite a bit smaller.

He sighed as a little of the pressure lifted. “Besides, I got roped into that bachelor auction. I need you to at least offer a pity bid.”

“I’ll think about it.” She lifted her chin and sent him a cheeky smile.

“You’ll think about it?”

She downed the last of her cupcake and wiped off her hands on the napkin, then tossed her trash into a nearby can. “Well, I need to see who else is in the running before I decide.”

Seth tossed his trash as he shoved the rest of his cupcake in his mouth and pointed at a bus slowing down at a stop twenty yards away. They ran to catch it, and that was just the beginning.

For the next several hours, they bought popcorn, navigated water fountains, and rode the sky swings. Which might not have been the best plan after their little sugar binge. At least the Centennial Wheel moved at a slow pace and offered a great view of the city. But the slow pace meant it also never completely stopped, so boarding the moving blue pods could be tricky. Although he doubted Grace would struggle, he still held her hand as they stepped into their private pod and waited for the door to seal them in.

It wasn’t a big space, just two benches that faced each other. Each bench could fit three adults comfortably, but with it being just the two of them, they chose opposite sides.

Grace stared out the side window as the ground below them slowly dropped away. Despite the busyness of Chicago, it felt like they were cocooned in their own little private moment.

She met his gaze across the small space. “You never took me on that date you promised.”

He motioned to the carriage around them. “Does this count?”

She seemed to consider it a moment, then shook her head. “Nope, I guess you’ll have to ask again.”

That was something he very well could do.

She sat back and looked out again at the city. “Why did you wait until I was leaving to ask me out?”

Why? Because he’d been in love with her for as long as he could remember. Because he’d been terrified that she’d say no. Which she had. But it wasn’t like he’d admit all that here. He offered a half shrug as he stared toward the city where people crowded the sidewalks, waiting for their turns on this ride. He wasn’t good with crowds or raw honesty. “I’m not sure. I saw you on your porch and just asked. Bugged your brother to no end, so that was a bonus.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. It had made Gabe mad, and Seth knew it would, but that had definitely not been a motivating factor.

“You and Gabe were so close before I left. It’s still a little shocking to me that you two aren’t friends anymore.”

Friends? Of course they weren’t friends. They were borderline enemies, but she had to know that. Could she not know— How on earth could that be possible? He must have misunderstood.

“I always hoped he would change.” She focused on her feet a moment, her face pinched as if she were in physical pain.

“At one point when I was younger, I used to think Gabe was my hero.”

She looked up. There was a smile on her face, but there wasn’t really any joy in it. “I even defended him to my parents, only to find out later I was just helping him lie.”

It wasn’t a stretch to imagine that. Seth knew a half dozen ways to get good people to help him lie.

He debated his next move with more than a little dread. Finally, he leaned forward, dropping his elbows on his knees. He snagged her fingers with his. “Don’t give up on him. I wouldn’t be alive today without him.”

The words pained him but were true. He had to believe that guy who was there for him when no one else had been still existed.

Instead of pulling back her fingers, she toyed with the calluses on his palm. “He saved your life?”

“After my dad was killed in active duty. My mom did not handle it well. And she turned to drugs, alcohol, and not-such-reputable company. But she was concerned about me—sort of.” He swallowed and let his gaze travel out the side of the carriage toward Lake Michigan stretching out in the distance. They were about halfway to the highest point, just high enough to see quite a distance. This type of openness wasn’t so bad. It was just the facts. He could do facts. “Her way of protecting me from the people she was associating with was to not let me come home on nights she had... visitors.”

“How old were you?”

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