Page 127 of Reckless King

I wipe more tears from my cheeks. I can’t believe he remembers what I was wearing the first time we met. Never once did I think I’d made even the tiniest impression on him back then. Clutching the note in my hand, I stare out the window at the people and cars we’re passing.

When Jeremy lets me out in front of True Brew, I’m still in my own world. As I go about opening the shop, I run through what Tate said last night and even pull his note back out for a reread, but when I flip the sign on the door to open, and customers start to stream in, I push aside my chaotic emotions and confused thoughts and focus on work.

But that afternoon, when I step back out of the shop and lock up, Jeremy’s there, a smile on his face. I can’t help but smile back, my heart lightening. When I slide into the back seat, my pulse flutters at the sight of another folded note, another violet.

I pick up the flower, tuck it behind my ear and open the note.

Violet,

The third time you visited Mark, my friends had invited me to a party. I turned them down because even though I wouldn’t admit it to myself, I enjoyed verbally sparring with the girl who couldn’t stand me. The thought of it was far more appealing than having another meaningless one-night stand. When I sat next to you on the couch to watch a movie, you wrinkled your nose at me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how good you smelled.

Always yours,

Tate

I press the note to my chest, and once again, tears wet my cheeks. If Tate’s trying to prove this isn’t a case of him falling for me due to proximity, he’s going about it the right way. I had no idea he remembered our earliest interactions at all, let alone in such detail.

That night, I lie in bed and run through the last few months. I relive every touch of Tate’s hand, every kiss, every whispered secret, the way it felt to be his. With each memory, my worry, my distrust over the unconventional nature of our relationship,is dissolving, and little by little, my heart is putting itself back together.

The next day, Jeremy is there and so is another note.

Violet,

When you and your dad came for Mark’s graduation, I watched the three of you and wondered what it would be like to have that kind of close bond with my family. When you hugged your brother after the ceremony, I imagined for just a moment that you might hug me too. Spoiler alert: you didn’t.

Always yours,

Tate

I can’t help but laugh, even as my chest constricts at the thought of Tate watching my small but close-knit family from the outside. Regret pierces me that I didn’t hug him that day. Or all the days between then and now.

The note that’s waiting for me that evening talks about when he saw me that first time at Onyx.

Violet,

I’ll never forget the moment you walked into Onyx. You weren’t just a masked face in the crowd; you were the only person in the room. Maybe I sensed who you were even then. If so, my subconscious was one step ahead of my conscious mind in recognizing who you’d become to me. That night wasthe start of something I didn’t even know I was looking for.

Always yours,

Tate

On the third day, when I see Jeremy waiting outside, I’ve already realized I’m being foolish. I’ve doubted Tate because I’ve been scared to risk my heart again. But he’s risking his. He’s risked more than that, and the least I can do is throw myself as recklessly into this relationship as he has.

When I slip into the car, I tuck the violet behind my ear and unfold the note.

Violet,

The night we went to Trio’s and you told me the truth about Eric is seared into my memory. You trusted me with something deeply personal that night, and all I wanted to do was to feel worthy of that trust. I wanted to be the kind of man who could give you everything you needed.

Always yours,

Tate

My heart flutters in my chest, and a smile I can’t contain breaks over my face. I’m desperate to see Tate, to touch him and tell him how I feel. But I can’t leave the shop short-staffed, as much as I’m tempted to. So I force myself to go in to work.

It isn’t until Jarrod comments on my good mood that I realize I’m smiling and humming as I wipe down the espresso machine Tate bought for me.

“Tate and I are… I think we’re getting back together.”

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