Page 56 of Finding Her
“So you claim.”
I jabbed a finger against his chest, intending to make some snarky comment—but my hand hit solid muscle, and I froze.
“Wow,” I said, my finger still pressed against him.
He raised a brow, clearly amused.
“You’re pure muscle, aren’t you?” I poked him again, and this time, I couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped.
Before he could reply, Mrs. Dixon blew her whistle. The sharp sound cut through the gym, snapping me out of whatever weird trance I’d fallen into.
“All right, everyone!” she called, her voice echoing off the walls. “Today is your midterm test. As you know, this is a required assessment. That means?—”
Her voice faded into the background as I glanced over at Bear. He stood next to me, his posture relaxed, his expression completely at ease. Like he wasn’t even listening to the instructions because he didn’t need to.
Meanwhile, my brain was running a million miles a minute, already imagining the hundred ways I could trip, fall, or somehow ruin this.
But then he turned, caught me staring, and smiled.
Something about the way he looked at me—like I had no reason to doubt myself—made me think,Maybe. Just maybe.
Somehow, we did it.
“We passed gym!” I yelled, the words echoing through the gym as I threw myself into Bear’s arms.
He laughed, catching me like it was the easiest thing in the world. His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me steady even though I was practically vibrating with excitement.
“We don’t know that for sure,” he said, his tone light, teasing. “There’s still time for something to go wrong.”
I narrowed my eyes and flicked his forehead. “Don’t even say that.”
He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “I’m just saying, Mrs. Dixon could decide to throw in a bonus round or something.”
“Stop,” I said, but I was laughing now, too.
Before he could say anything else, I leaned up and kissed him.
His hands tightened on my waist, pulling me closer, and I could feel him smiling against my lips. It wasn’t a long kiss—Mrs. Dixon was still nearby, clipboard in hand—but it was enough to make my heart stutter.
For a moment, nothing else mattered. Not the test, not the nerves, not even the lingering worry that I’d somehow messed up.
It was just us, standing there in the middle of the gym, his arms around me and his laugh still ringing in my ears.
“Okay,” he said when I pulled back, his voice low and amused. “Now that’s a reward I can get behind.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop smiling.
And for the first time all day, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I’d passed more than just the test.
CHAPTER 37
bear
“So,Levi, we are just so excited to meet you,” Mrs. Wade said with a warm smile, her enthusiasm bubbling over like champagne.
“How long have you and Poppy been dating?”
“Uh, I think it’s six months today,” I said, glancing at Poppy. Her hands rested neatly on the table, fingers lightly laced. The restaurant buzzed with chatter and clinking glasses, but all of it faded into background noise. My eyes were glued to her—the soft curls framing her face, the flowy purple dress that swayed when she walked. Though honestly, she could’ve been in sweatpants, and I still wouldn’t have been able to look at anyone else.
