Page 121 of Play Pretend

“I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I stared at her, watching as she spun around and around, taking everything in. I’d never seen someone so in awe before, but she was. She couldn’t stop the tears filling her eyes as she looked out at the ocean again.

“Me either,” I breathed.

As beautiful as this place was, she was better. She was perfect—but perfect didn’t feel like enough of a word to describe her. She was everything, and there was nothing I could say, nothingI could do, to ever make her feel an ounce of what she made me feel. Of what she madeeveryonefeel.

Warmth radiated from her, full of the purest love I’d ever felt. And in that moment, with the ocean breeze blowing through her messy waves, the slight pinkness staining her cheeks, I knew I loved her.

I might’ve fallen in love with her the first moment I saw her, or it might’ve been when she told me off about my trash, or the power tools, or whatever else. It might’ve been when she asked me to be her fake boyfriend, or it might’ve been the first time I felt her lips against mine—the first time I tasted her.

Whenever it was didn’t matter. Because I loved her. I loved her with every ounce of my being, every beat of my heart. She was every breath I took, every thought I had, every future I envisioned.

She was everything—myeverything.

The feeling, theword, washed over me, sudden and hot. It battered against the cage of my teeth, demanding to be let free, but I swallowed it down. Was now the right time? I didn’t know.

She was so stressed about this weekend. We only had two nights left before her family was here, and then what would happen? How far would she close in on herself?

I couldn’t tell her while they were here. It would be too much. But telling her before? Telling her now?

I turned toward her, finding her already staring at me. She reached up, smoothing her thumb between my brows. “You’re thinking about something awfully hard,” she said softly, a teasing lilt to her voice.

I swallowed thickly. “I, um, I have your birthday present.”

I cringed. That was not the way I’d wanted to tell her or give it to her. Excitement filled her face as she turned toward me.

“Do you? Where is it?”

“Okay, it’s small, and if you hate it?—”

“I won’t,” she said, but I shook my head.

“If you hate it, I promise it won’t hurt my feelings. I’ll get you something else.”

I reached into the basket I’d brought, the pink envelope heavy in my hand. Her brows crashed together as she took it from me.

“What is this?” she laughed softly, but I just gestured for her to open it.

Carefully, almost like she was diffusing a bomb, she slid her finger along the seam, opening it. I held my breath as I watched, waiting for her reaction.

She pulled the paper out and unfolded it. Her eyes widened with each word, and when she finished reading, she snapped her gaze to me.

“Is this a joke?” she asked.

“I knew you were gonna hate it.” I groaned. “I’ll get you?—”

“Are you kidding me?” I blinked at her. I didn’t know this would be her reaction. “I’ve been trying to get into the private garden foryears, Ronan.Years. How did you do this?”

“My mom knows the lady who runs it.” I shrugged. “She got you a plot in the back.”

“This is—” She read the letter again. “This is incredible.”

A smile tugged at my lips as I kissed her forehead. Who knew a simple plot at the community garden would cause her to nearly cry? I guess I should’ve known. She loved her plants.

She tucked the letter back into the envelope before handing it back to me to safety put in the basket again. Her happiness and excitement were infectious, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my newfound love.

I wanted to tell her. It shouldn’t be hard to just say it.

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