Page 106 of The Fake Date Agreement

Chapter 26

Caleb

Tobie is sittingon the top of a picnic table, laughing.

Her eyes are sparkling.

There is something so electric about that woman, I struggle to believe I never knew she existed until last week.

She’s real and funny and sweet.

I’ve never been around someone who wore their heart on their sleeve so openly like that before. I want to protect it because leaving yourself wide open like that means someone can lay waste to your heart. Someone already did.

That ex of hers.

How could he have hurther?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the park.

She didn’t know a thing about hockey, claimed not to like it, and was visibly afraid of kids hurting her, but she still joined in and was open to laughing at herself to make them laugh.

Protecting someone like her should come easy. Hurting someone like her should be impossible.

I’m about to walk over to them when Tobie slides off the table and reaches for her bag. “I have to go.”

Reid circles her wrist and tugs slightly, drawing her in for a kiss that she instantly leans into.

From the way her body softens against his, I know they recently had sex.

I can always tell who Reid has slept with, and he definitely did with Tobie.

“Stay,” he tells her.

“Don’t you have to go to the gym this morning?” she reminds him.

He does.

It’s why I was looking for him. I knocked on his door this morning, and he didn’t answer. I texted him, and he said he was out having breakfast.

“Yep,” Reid says.

“And aren’t you going to get into trouble?”

“Probably,” he cheerfully admits.

She smiles. “And isn’t Caleb going to kill you?”

“There are worse reasons to die than because I spent time with you.” He draws her in for a kiss.

“Is there a reason you’re hiding behind a tree?”

I jump at Javier’s question coming from over my left shoulder.

His gaze slides from me to the picnic table, and his confusion clears. “Ah.” He stuffs his hands in his pockets and watches them for a beat. “She looks happy.”

She does. But that’s Reid all over.

He has this ability to make a woman feel like she’s the only person in his orbit, and they fall for him hard and fast. I’m used to seeing the effect he has on women. But I’m not used to seeing Reid like this.

---