Page 116 of Beyond the Hate

She stops in the hallway. “Chemistry set?”

“Forget it. What do you need my help for?”

She lifts the bag I didn’t notice she was carrying. “Maya brought me an outfit to change into. Apparently, my jeans and t-shirt aren’t appropriate clothing for a party.”

I smirk. “And you need my help to change.”

She slaps my shoulder. “No, silly. I thought you needed saving.”

I step close and wrap my arms around her. “And you came to my rescue.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course, I did. I will always come to your rescue.”

I kiss her nose. “And I’ll always come to yours.”

“I don’t need a man to rescue me.”

“Don’t care. I’ll rescue you anyway.”

“I love you, Eli.”

Those words hit me in my chest and spread warmth throughout my body. I will never tire of her telling me she loves me. I don’t deserve her. Not after what I did. But I’m not letting her go. I will show her every single day for the rest of our lives that she made the right choice when she forgave me.

“And I love you, Lace.”

I dip my head toward hers but she pushes me away. I scowl.

She points to the doorway where her friends are not even bothering to hide their eavesdropping. They wave and give us thumbs ups.

“Your friends are crazy.”

“Our friends,” she corrects. “And you should be used to crazy. I’ve met your brothers.”

I groan. “And you encouraged them to be crazy.”

She shrugs. “It’s not my fault Miles thought he could eat ten funnel cakes without throwing up.”

I snort. “You didn’t encourage him?”

She widens her eyes and blinks. “He’s a grown man. I don’t know how I could ever influence his decision making.”

I lift a brow.

She shrugs. “He needed to pay for all those times he called me Paisley the Perpetual Know It All.”

“You’ve got everyone fooled.”

She bats her eyelashes. “Fooled? I am who I am.”

“You act like some nerdy girl who’s in love with chemistry—”

“I do love chemistry. It’s not an act.”

I ignore her interruption. “But you’re not some innocent. You’re as devious as your friends.”

“Why do you think we’re such good friends?” She winks.

“People are arriving!” Sophia yells.

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