Page 77 of The Enemy Face Off

He pauses. "I accept your apology. Thank you." Another pause. "But you still hate my man bun?"

"Well…"

"Please tell me you hate it, otherwise I'll start to think I've been sucked into some alternate reality."

I laugh. "Okay. I hate your man bun," I say without meaning it. I'm not going to go out and buy anI Love Man BunsT-shirt anytime soon, but I don't hate it anymore, either. Truth be told, it kinda suits him.

"Can I say one more thing, and then we can drop it?" he asks.

"Okay."

"I get why you may have formed a low opinion of me, Beth. I've been hurt by people in the past, too, so I know what it's like to feel like you have to protect yourself."

I remember what he told me about his tough childhood and growing up, so I guess in a way he can relate to my horror dating history. Totally different circumstances but hurt and pain and betrayal are universal.

"I'm sure you do. You're not mad at me for the way I acted when we first met and I totally ignored you? Be honest. Because if you are, it's totally justified."

"No, I'm not mad," he says warmly.

"Really?"

"I'd tell you if I was. If anything, I'm constantly blown away by you."

"Why?" I turn my head and find both his eyebrows arched. "I'm not fishing for compliments," I clarify. "I'm genuinely curious."

"Okay. I'll tell you. But remember, there's only room for one giant-sized ego in this car." I giggle as he goes on. "I think you'reamazing, Beth. You're strong and confident. You're who you are and you don't apologize for it at all because you know you don't need to. I love your passion for books. How much you enjoy your career. How important your friends are to you. And I…" He falters for a second. "I like how you make me feel."

I grip the steering wheel a little tighter and force myself to swallow. "And how do I make you feel?"

He lets out a long breath and stays silent for a while.

A long while.

Just as I start to think he's not going to answer the question, he replies with one softly spoken word.

"Seen."

CapitalW.

CapitalO.

CapitalWWWW.

I honestly don't know what to say to that. Neither does Milo it seems, as we get enveloped in another stretch of silence.

He flicks the dial, and we spend the rest of the drive listening to a local radio station, my mind so consumed by what Milo just said I don't even mind the static hisses and crackles that increase as we climb higher up the mountain and out of range.

I make him feel seen.

It's hands down the best compliment I've ever received.It'll definitely take me some time to wrap my brain around the enormity of that.

As we pull up to Cedar Crest Haven, the wedding lodge where Evie and Fraser will be married, my body thrums with an energy I can't quite pinpoint.

It's a gorgeous spot, nestled among towering pine trees and overlooking a breathtaking valley. Elegant wooden structures and delicate fairy lights blend harmoniously with the natural beauty, creating a romantic atmosphere. An idyllic place for a wedding.

"We're here," I say, pointing out the obvious as I turn the engine off.

"And a few minutes early," Milo says with a grin, like he's in on the joke about him being a slow driver.

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