Page 102 of Love Me Like It's Real
I frown.
“You knew what?”
Jason shrugs. “For all his anti-love talk, Hayworth is a softie underneath. I knew it would be hard to bring that version of him back to the surface but whoever did, would be special.”
“And you are!” Olivia says. “If anyone can tame that pain of a son, he’s pretty darn special if I do say so myself.”
I can feel my cheeks warm up and rub them both with my hands but I’m sure there’s nothing I can do about the redness.
“Anyway. I’ll see you around, Felix. My home and store are always open for you. Just…don’t let himsee youcome to me. I fear if he sees us talking he’ll get scared and hide again.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let him hide again.”
She takes a deep breath and smiles. “I don’t know what deity brought you in our lives but I thank the stars they did.”
And with those sweet words she loops her arm through Jason’s and they walk away just in time for Hayworth to turn and wave at me. The girls mimic him and Elsa runs over with my drink in her hand.
“Everything okay?” he asks when he reaches me.
“Never better,” I grin and look to the stage where the singer of the band finishes a song and everyone applauds.
“Folks, don’t forget to stop by the library today, and write a love letter to your future selves,” he announces on the mic.
I look at Hayworth with a raised eyebrow. “A love letter to your future self? Really?”
He chuckles. “It sounds silly, but it’s…cathartic.”
I choke on my drink. “Wait. You’ve done it?”
“A few years ago.”
“But you were anti-love.”
He shrugs. “Yeah, and I wanted to remind myself to stay like that.”
“Of course.” I roll my eyes and take another sip to clear my throat and the band starts another song. “Oh, that reminds me…”
I hand my drink to him and unhook the backpack from one shoulder and dig in for the gift before I take my drink back.
“This is for you.”
He frowns. “You got me a gift?”
I stop and sway from side to side. “Kinda. The girls wanted me to send you a Secret Admirer Gift but we ran out of time…”
“Because that ended back on Valentine’s day.”
“Yeah, but I got you something anyway and it took a little longer to personalize. Open it.”
I encourage him with a head bop and he hands me his drink so he can unwrap it. When I hear the paper tear I hold my breath, bite my lip and wait for him to study it.
“Wha-what is this?” He turns the book over and over in his hand a few times before he opens it and frowns.
“It’sPride and Prejudice. The first genre romance ever written, or whatever. But it’s defaced. See?” I point to a few lines that have been blacked out and some doodles of emoji on the sides of the pages. “I erased all the lovey-dovey bits. Oh, and the happily ever after is missing. Because I know you hate those.”
“That’s…” he starts and leafs through more of the pages and I go back to holding my breath. “That’s amazing.” He looks from the book to me and smiles. “I love it. Although…”
“Although what?”
