Page 32 of Three Pucking Wedding Dates

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Gray’s voice is gentle beside me, drawing my attention away from the sky.

I glance over and notice he’s not looking at the rink, but at me instead. His warm brown eyes are filled with sincerity, making my heart race in my chest. “What are you doing?” I ask, unable to keep the blush from creeping up my cheeks.

“Looking at the most beautiful thing in the world,” he replies simply, his gaze never wavering.

My breath catches in my throat, and for a moment, I’m struck speechless. Gray doesn’t just love me—he’s in love with me. That’s nothing new to me, but the realization brings a tumult ofemotions swirling through me, and I can’t help but wonder if I could ever feel the same way about him.

“Gray…” I start, unsure of what to say. He’s always been so devoted, so caring, and yet I’ve never allowed myself to entertain the idea that we could be more than friends. But in this moment, with the stars above us and the night air kissing our skin, anything seems possible.

“Oakley,” he says, and there’s something new in his tone—a quiet desperation that tugs at my heartstrings. “Don’t you see the way I feel about you…how much I love you? No man can ever love you as much as I do, as deeply as I do. Why can’t you accept that?”

My mind races as I try to make sense of Gray’s confession. The vulnerability in his eyes, the sincerity of his words—it all makes my heart beat faster, my breath catch in my throat. But before I can say anything in return, another memory tugs at the back of my mind, demanding attention.

“Gray,” I say, my voice wavering slightly, “why did you punch that guy during practice? That’s not like you at all.”

He hesitates for a moment, his gaze flicking away from mine. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he mutters, clearly uncomfortable.

“Come on, Gray,” I press, suddenly filled with determination. “You’ve always been the calm and collected one. What could have possibly made you lose your temper like that?”

He sighs heavily, resigned. “Fine. You really want to know? It was because of something Ash said about you.”

“Me?” I ask, taken aback. “What could he have possibly said that would make you react like that?”

“How he wanted to take you for a turn.” Gray’s jaw clenches, anger flashing in his eyes.

Take me for a turn?

“He was talking about you like you were some kind of object, and I couldn’t stand for it.”

“Gray, you shouldn’t have let it bother you so much,” I say softly, trying to reassure him. “People will always say things, but you can’t let them get under your skin. Especially not when it comes to me. And it’s not like I’d ever sleep with him anyways.” I smile and nudge him to try and lighten the situation.

It doesn’t help.

“Oakley, you don’t understand,” he says, suddenly grabbing hold of my arms, his touch gentle yet firm. “It bothered me because I don’t want anyone else looking at you like that, thinking about you like that. Because I want you all to myself.”

I swallow hard. I try to cut him off, but he continues, his voice urgent. “I can’t keep pretending that I don’t have feelings for you, Oakley. That I don’t want more for us.”

“Gray,” I say softly, my voice wavering slightly, “I’m touched by your words, but…I’ve never had good relationship experiences.” I look down, biting my lower lip as memories surface. “My high school boyfriend dumped me because I wasn’t ready to put out. My first college boyfriend thought I was too needy and left me. And then there was Dan, my fiancé who cheated on me with Georgia.” I shudder, the pain still fresh even after all these years.

“Oakley, I would never do any of those things to you,” Gray says earnestly, his warm brown eyes filled with sincerity.

“I know,” I reply, giving him a small smile. “But you’re too important to me, Gray. I can’t risk anything going wrong. I can’t risk losing you.”

Before he can respond, Reid appears behind me, his hand sliding down my side and resting on my thigh. My body responds immediately, a jolt of electricity shooting through me. Theo follows closely behind, his piercing blue eyes watching our every move.

“Tell me, Oakley,” Reid murmurs in my ear, his voice low and enticing. “Do you enjoy how it feels when we touch you?”

I swallow hard, my cheeks flushing as I try to steady my breathing. The tension between us is palpable, and I can’t help but feel torn. On one hand, I crave their touch, the closeness we’ve shared; on the other, I’m terrified of what this might mean for our relationships.

“Yes,” I admit, my voice barely a whisper. “I enjoy it…more than I should.”

“Then why hold back?” Reid asks, stepping closer and placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Because I…I don’t need a relationship.”

“I don’t either,” Reid whispers. “But, we won’t take it that far. It only has to be serious if we let it.”

“So no boyfriend-girlfriend?”

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