Page 15 of Dare to Love

I marched across the shop to her as my heart hammered against my rib cage. “Surprise,” I said softly, taking her hands in mine.

“Reid…” Lilian’s eyes widened as it suddenly dawned on her. “Is this—” I looked into her eyes and I saw a level of uncertainty there, a vulnerability that made my chest tighten. This was supposed to be an act, a performance for the town gossip and an opportunity to cement that grand prize but in my heart that had long disappeared.

“Trust me,” I whispered, giving her hands a gentle squeeze as she nodded back in return, giving me a small smile at her lips despite the confusion in her eyes as I led her to the center of the shop, where the chocolate heart display waited. The crowd pressed closer, eager for a better view of the spectacle and what they had all gathered here for. In the corner of my eye, I could see Paisley’s phone out no doubt set to record, probablyplanning to share this moment with all of Starlight Bay before the hour was out.

“Lilian,” I began, raising my voice so everyone could hear me above the crowd. “These past two weeks have been... unexpected.” Lilian’s cheeks flushed pink, but her eyes never left mine, searching for clues about where I was going with this.

“From that day I saw you at the book shop, you’ve challenged me, surprised me and...” I paused as the planned speech suddenly felt hollow and impersonal. “And made me happier than I’ve been in a very long time.” I watched the way Lilian’s features shifted, a softening appearing around her eyes that gave me courage to continue. “I know this might seem fast to everyone here,” I continued, gesturing to the crowd, “but sometimes, when you know, you just know.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the velvet box, dropping to one knee as gasps and excited whispers erupted around us. Lilian’s eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise as I opened the box to reveal the simple solitaire diamond.

“Lilian Raeflower,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected it to be at this moment knowing that I could potentially have screwed everything up here by doing this next move, “I know we’ve only been pretending... but what if there’s more here?”

“Pretend…” the whispered tones began as Paisley started to cough. “What have we?—”

The rehearsed line came out differently than I’d planned, laden with a sincerity that surprised even me. This was no longer just for show. I was asking her a real question beneath the pretence and from the way her breath hitched, I knew she felt it too. For a long moment, she just stared at me as her emotions played across her expressive face too quickly for me to interpret. Was she feeling it too? This connection that had caught me completely off guard? Did she understand why I had revealed what I had? When she didn’t answer immediately, I felt a flash ofpanic. Had I misread everything? Was I alone in these feelings? I laughed gently, trying to keep things playful in an attempt to cover the sudden vulnerability I felt.

“This is where you say yes, sweetheart,” I prompted with a wink, loud enough for our audience to hear. “This is?—”

“Yes,” Lilian replied, her voice clear despite the slight tremor I detected. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you, Reid!” The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as I slipped the ring onto her finger as I quickly rose to my feet, pulling her into my arms as the shop filled with congratulatory shouts and whistles. I couldn’t help but notice the way her body was tense against mine for just a moment before she relaxed, her arms sliding around my neck.

“What are you doing?” she whispered against my ear, her voice too low for anyone else to hear. “No one was meant to know it was a dare.” I pulled back just enough to see her face, to search her eyes for some sign that she understood that I didn’t care. If it was about the grand prize, I’d fund the damn thing myself. I didn’t care. All that mattered was this moment.

The two of us as we always were meant to be. No pretences and no more hiding. At the end of the day the dare was officially over. We had successfully convinced the town that we were madly in love and I had watched Lilian accept congratulations with graceful smiles and laughter as my ring sparkled on her finger.

Somehow, in the midst of this ridiculous charade though I had fallen completely, irrevocably in love with Lilian Raeflower. And tonight, I would have to find the courage to tell her the truth—that for me, she was all I needed.

CHAPTER 9

Lilian

I staredat my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back at me. The morning after was filled with a palpable tension neither of us knew how to navigate. I hadn’t expected Reid and I to both finally give in to what we both desired finally and clear that weight that had been hanging over us of what was real and what was just an act. The night had changed everything and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I could still feel the heat of Reid’s kiss lingering on my lips, his touch imprinted on my skin, but the weight of what we’d just shared hung over us.

As I lay in bed my mind raced with thoughts. The dare had been a playful game, something light-hearted. The lines now had definitely blurred and the stakes had changed. I had been running away from feelings for so long, scared of letting someone in and getting hurt again, but with Reid, I wasn’t sure how to hold back anymore. He had made me feel things I wasn’t ready for. I glanced over at Reid as he sat on the edge of the bed with his hands in his head and couldn’t help replaying the way he played with my body with his masterful touch like hehad been trained in the art of seduction. The usual easy-going confidence he carried had been replaced with a quiet uncertainty that was eating away at me. I could see it in his posture—the way his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if he was carrying a burden, he wasn’t sure how to share.

“Reid, we need to talk.” I said softly. He looked up at me, his gray eyes swirling with emotion.

“I know.” Reid sighed. “I didn’t expect things to go this far with Paisley and this whole National Day Dare. I need you to know that I haven’t pretended for a long time. I… Lilian… I can’t ignore this pull between us but I don’t know how to make this right. I want something real with you.”

“I’m scared, Reid,” I confessed, my voice barely a whisper. “Honestly, this is new territory for us both. We both have been hurt in the past and the gossip—” I began as Reid moved closer to me, his hand finding mine and squeezing it gently, cutting me off mid-sentence.

“I get that. I’ve been running from anything real for a long time because I’m scared of getting hurt too but I know I’m not going to find what I want unless I face that fear. The only people that matter here are us. The gossips can say what they like. I’m going to talk to Paisley too. I think things just got taken too far. This could have hurt someone really badly.” Reid’s thumb brushed over the back of my hand; his touch so tender it made my heart ache. I wanted to trust him, but the walls I had built around myself weren’t coming down so easily. And yet… the way he spoke, the way he looked at me, made me want to believe in something more. “I’m not asking you to jump in with both feet,” he continued, his voice low. “I just want you to know that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Whatever this is, I’m willing to take it slow and to move at your pace even if that means giving back the ring.”

I glanced down at my hand and sighed. The weight of the solitaire feeling comforting and perfect—right where it belonged. If I was honest just like when Reid held me or squeezed my hand. It was only the mounting fear and panic that was holding me back but that would take time and trust to eventually overcome. I deserved to be happy. So did he…so why not let fate be.

I nodded, squeezing his hand back. “I’m willing to try too. But we have to be honest with each other. I can’t do this if we’re not.”

“I can be honest. But I’ll warn you… it might not always be easy.” Reid gave a soft laugh, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little.

“I think I can handle that,” I replied, a small smile tugging at my lips.

We sat in silence for a moment, just holding hands as we both tried to process everything that had changed between us. The morning light streamed in through the window, casting soft shadows over the room and for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of peace. The sound of my phone buzzing broke the spell and as I reached for it, I groaned when I saw Paisley’s name flashing on the screen.

“She’s probably wondering where I disappeared to last night,” I muttered, showing Reid the screen as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Want me to answer it? I do need to have a chat with her anyway.”

“Don’t you dare, you can do that in your own time.” I uttered, pressing the answer button. “Hey, Pais.”

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