Page 143 of Love is a Game

I give a nervous smile, glancing at the faces below the crest, all fixed on us. I catch Susan’s fist pressed anxiously to her mouth. Hmm…I should really cut through these pleasantries and get to the point.

“Um, Tuck? Thanks for coming—” I blurt, strangely formal.

He tilts his head, amused. “Call me crazy, but I feel like I’m the only person here who has no idea what’s going on. Is that about right?”

I nod, holding his eyes. “Exactly. Which, incidentally, is a perfect example of something I’ve been working on.”

“Oh?” He crosses his arms, intrigued. “And what’s that?”

“That…maybe I don’t need to do everything on my own.”

His eyes soften slightly, filling me with the strength to continue.

“It takes a lot of courage to let people in…but that risk is repaid a hundred times over.” I fold my hands together, steadying myself. “Because there’s strength in numbers. When you work as a team, it lifts everything. Even the impossible starts to feel…possible.”

“That so?” His eyes sparkle with more brilliance than the entire lake.

“And so, yes, you’re right.” I nod. “Everyone here knows what this is, except you.” I gesture toward the figures under the trees. “This—this is a very carefully planned ambush.”

His brows shoot up. “Anambush?”

“Uh-huh.” I give a hopeful smirk. “With all these people here, I figure you won’t have much choice but to roll with it.”

He strokes his jaw, playing along. “And what does this stealth plan of yours entail?”

I square my shoulders. “You asked what I’ve figured out. What I see for us. Something solid.”

He nods slowly. “But, somehow, I thought we’d talk it through…alone.”

“Maybe we’ve talked enough, Tuck,” I say gently. “Or,I’vetalked enough. Spun in circles long enough. Questioning things that didn’t need questioning. Like whether we’re compatible enough, resilient enough to make it work. Keeping score of every way I’ve been hurt, tallying up all the reasons I couldn’t trust anyone. It means that whenever things are good between us, my fear kicks in.”

He doesn’t interrupt. Just listens.

“That I’m not good enough. That eventually, you’ll want out. So that I preempt it. Push you away. Break the trust before you can.”

Tuck shifts his feet. “And now?”

“I found a way through, Tuck.” I gather my strength, striving to make him understand. “A way to rebuild that trust. To show you how far I’m willing to go for us. And I’m hoping—praying—you’re still up for the challenge. Because this isn’t a solo feat. It’s going to take all our combined skills and fortitude. And a lot of luck and daring to see it through.”

His eyes don’t leave mine. “So what’s the way through, Pen?”

I angle my chin, draw myself upward, ready to put it all on the line.

“By accepting what’s always been true: I love you. You love me. And we want to be together. Right?”

His eyes darken. “Right.”

“Then…I have a proposal. A clearly defined, unambiguous proposal for our future. One that we can both sign off on.” I smile through my nervousness. “I even brought witnesses.”

He swallows, glancing toward our riveted audience before returning his gaze to me.

Then, slowly, he reaches out a hand.

I grip it tightly, allowing his heat and energy to meld with mine, penetrating my skin like rays of sunlight, surging deep into my cells.

“Pen.” He holds my eyes, searching. “I really hope this is what I think it is—” He breaks off, unsure. “But then I think I would be dreaming.”

“You’re not dreaming, Tuck.” My voice cracks with emotion. “Unless we both are. Unless all those people over there, who want this for us, who’ve been cheering us on, are dreaming too.”

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