Page 71 of Until It Was Real

He hands me his phone. “Open the Sammy app?”

“Sammy app?”

“It’s an app to figure out where Sammy the seal is.”

“Sammy the seal!” I squeal. “I’m dying to meet him.”

“I know.” He taps his phone. “Find out where he is on the app.”

“Your phone’s locked.” I try handing it back to him.

“My passcode is 524524.”

My jaw drops. “You just gave me your passcode.”

“I’m aware since I did it.”

“But I could go into your phone and read your messages or your emails. I could get onto your social media and tell the world you identify as a purple monster.”

He chuckles. “A purple monster? I couldn’t be a normal monster?”

I slap his arm. “Don’t make fun of me.”

He pulls to the side of the road and puts the vehicle in park. “Dakota.” He palms my neck to bring me near. “If I’m with someone, I have to trust them one hundred percent. Which means giving her access to my phone and my life.”

“You trust me one hundred percent?”

“I do.”

Guilt rears its ugly head. Rhett doesn’t know all of my secrets. I didn’t tell him every last one because I’m afraid he’d run if he knew everything about me.

“But you barely know me,” I argue, since – despite the guilt clamoring around in my chest – I’m not ready to confess all to him.

“I know you’re gorgeous and wicked smart and full of optimism despite all the shit life has thrown at you. I know you’re loyal. I know enough.”

Tears well in my eyes. He didn’t say he loves me but his words mean more. Rhett sees me. The real me.

“Thank you.”

He kisses my forehead before releasing me and putting the SUV in gear. “Now, open the Sammy app and tell me where to drive.”

I suck up my tears and concentrate on the task at hand. The app is easy enough to find. The icon is of a seal holding a stop sign.

“He was last spotted on the road leading to theHideaway Haven Resort.”

“He’ll probably still be in the area then. Sammy’s a bit lazy.”

Excitement buzzes through me as we drive toward the resort. Luckily, it isn’t far as the anticipation is killing me. Rhett slows down as we near the location where the seal was last spotted.

I notice a lump in the middle of the road. “Stop! Stop! It’s him.”

Rhett pulls to the side of the road and switches on his emergency lights. This time, I don’t wait for him to open my door. I rush out and hurry toward the gray lump in the middle of the street.

“Sammy!”

He barks in response and I kneel in front of him.

“I’m Dakota. It’s nice to meet you.”

---