Page 31 of Always Been You

"Men, we asked you what your partner's favorite movie is. So, Ethan, what did you say Jess's favorite movie is?"

Ethan lifted his card. "Dirty Dancing."

The crowd cheered, but Jess wasn’t impressed. "That was an easy one."

Her parents got the next few questions right, and Ethan and Jess missed a couple. Then vice versa.

Ethan guessed on a few and had gotten lucky.

What size shoe did Jess wear?

There was no way he would’ve known that but he guessed a seven and he’d been right.

What was Jess's biggest phobia?

He remembered she wouldn't get out of the car one night when everyone was up at Star Gaze Point because she swore she'd seen a rat on the ground. So he guessed rats. Right again.

Who was Jess's celebrity crush?

He remembered she was furious when Charlie Hunnam backed out of the Fifty Shades movies, and he seemed to recall her wearing her “I Love Jax Teller” shirt for at least three days in a row after that, so he went with Charlie and they got the point.

His favorite part of the entire night was watching the look of near-horror on her face when she turned her cards over and their answers matched. No. Scratch that. His favorite part had been the kiss, horrified expressions a close second.

"All right, everyone," Brynn spoke loudly, "John and Bonnie have nine points and Jess and Ethan have ten, but it's still anyone's game. This final question is worth five points. Gentlemen, we asked you how old was your partner when they had their first kiss? John, how old did you say Bonnie was when she had her first kiss?"

Jess's dad turned over his card, and the number fourteen was written on it.

Bonnie smiled as she turned her card over and revealed a match. They leaned over and kissed each other to the delight of the crowd.

"Okay, Jess and Ethan, this is for the whole enchilada. Ethan, how old did you say that Jess was when she had her first kiss?"

He glanced over at her to see if there was any spark of recognition in Jess’s eyes. He was searching for any hint that she remembered that he was the boy she'd shared her first kiss with. But the only thing he saw was a confident look that made him think she didn't think he had a chance in hell of getting it right.

She was shaking her head no before he even flipped up his card.

"Nine?" Brynn read his card. "Jess what did you say?"

Her mouth fell open and her head spun toward him.

“Jess, show us your card,” Brynn prompted.

Slowly, she lifted her card and revealed her answer. It was nine.

"Nine. Wow. Okay, well Jess and Ethan you are the winners of the Not-So-Newlywed game."

The crowd, including Jess's parents, were cheering but Jess wasn’t paying them any attention. Her eyes were searching his for answers. "How did you know that? How did you know I was nine?"

"Good game, guys!" Jess's mom pulled her into a hug, thus saving him from having to reveal something he wasn't quite ready to.

A small group of well-wishers gathered around them and offered their congratulations to both couples. A few asked Jess and Ethan how long they'd been together and some said that they always knew the two of them would end up together. Ethan rested his hand on Jess's lower back and he could feel the tension in her body. He knew that it was driving her crazy not knowing how he knew that last answer.

He’d planned on telling her as soon as they got a moment alone and was looking forward to her reaction, but before he got the chance, he was called into work. As he said goodbye and kissed her on the forehead. It wasn't as earth-shattering as the kiss by the pool had been, but it felt right.

Being with Jess, even if he wasn't really with Jess, felt more right than he'd ever felt in his life.

10

"Shoot." The keys to the shop fell from Jess's hand as she tried to unlock the back door.

---