Page 60 of Tangled

“Yeah, I bought it while I was in the Army. I haven’t been out on it in a long time though,” he says, trailing off and breaking eye contact with me.

“Is there a reason?”

Kane doesn’t say anything for a moment, which makes me nervous, thinking maybe I’ve overstepped a boundary.

“Sorry,” he says while shaking his head. “I just… the last time I was on the bike was about three years ago…”

And that’s all he has to say. I’m dying to know what happened to this man, why he’s been so guarded and refused to let anyone in, but I have faith that he’ll tell me when he’s ready.

“Do you have any more questions?” I say, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, how about one more?” His eyes finally meet mine again and I can see the gratitude there for not pushing him to elaborate.

I nod.

“Would you rather have true love or win the lottery?”

“I think you should answer this one first,” I press a finger into his chest, but Kane doesn’t even budge. Just that one little touch reminds me of how solid of a man he is.

“If you had asked me this three years ago, I definitely would have said win the lottery.” His answer makes me instantly sad, desperate to hold him and prove to him that love is not evil.

“But now, after time has helped me see reason, I’d say true love.”

The corner of my mouth tips up when I hear his honest words.

“True love for me too, hands down,” I whisper. Kane moves closer to me, pulling me into him by my waist, his eyes communicating something to me, but I’m unsure of exactly what that is. And before I can speak, he leans forward and kisses me, the taste of wine and marinara on his tongue as it tangles with mine.

I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my chest against his as we continue to immerse ourselves in the kiss, showing our feelings physically instead of vocalizing them just yet.

Kane doesn’t have to say everything he’s thinking to me right now. I can be patient. I can be understanding that this man has been burned and it’s going to take time for him to tell me everything I need to hear.

But if his kiss is any indication, I’d say we’re both able to communicate our mutual attraction and pull through the touch of our lips. And for right now, that’s enough.

Chapter 27

Olivia

It’s the week of Halloween, and this is by far myleastfavorite time to be a teacher. High school students are just as bad as the little ones. And hats off to those elementary school teachers who have to coordinate class parties, costume contests, and deal with the sugar-infested minions the day ofandthe day after. But in high school, some students still dress up, proving to be a distraction from learning. And then the day after, they’re all zombies from staying up late the night before and bring all of their candy to school with them, snacking on the sugary treats all day so by the time the last period comes around, they’re bouncing off of the walls just as bad as the little kids do. I’m all for teenagers trying to enjoy every minute of their youth—but their crazed mentalities those two days make it hard for me to teach.

“I can’t believe you gave us a test on the day after Halloween,” Daisy whines while I signal for students to turn in their homework.

“I know. I’m just the worst teacher ever, huh?” I mock her with a wicked smile while the students put away their bags.

“No, Miss Walsh. You’re actually pretty awesome. But I’m gonna be real… I’m pretty annoyed with you right now.”

I laugh at her. “Well, I appreciate your honesty.”

Once everyone’s ready, I wait for them to get silent before passing out their tests. While monitoring the room, I catch myself sneezing repeatedly. After the symphony of bless-you’s, I realize I think I’m getting sick. My nose is running, my throat is scratchy, and my head is pounding. Grateful that this is my last period, I hang on until the bell rings, then slump down in my desk chair.

“Oh, God,” I whine while emailing the sub desk, knowing there’s no way I’m going to be able to work tomorrow. I prepare lessons plans for my classes, grabbing some extra practice worksheets from my cabinet that I always have on hand for emergencies, leave a note of instructions for my substitute, and then grab my things and manage to drive home before beginning another sneezing fit. Seeing as how November is here, I guess cold season has arrived as well.

I change into pajamas, grab my blanket off the back of the couch, shove tissues up my nose, and melt into the cushions after drowning myself in cold medication.

The ring of my cell phone startles me awake, not realizing I drifted off. The meds must have hit me hard when I look at the time and notice it’s after eight.

“Hello?” I answer, sounding more like a man than myself right now.

“Oh, no, are you sick?” Perry asks as soon as she hears my voice.

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