Page 136 of Fake As Puck
“The wedding. My parents. You.”
“Your parents?”
“My mom cornered my dad after dinner. Apparently, she’s convinced we’re about to give her pro athlete grandchildren.”
I ignore that thought completely and ask, “What did your dad say?”
“That he likes you and doesn’t care either way as long as I’m happy.”
I nod, lips perching. “Are you? Happy?”
He looks at me for a long moment, and I can see him considering how much truth to give me.
“I’m nervous,” he says finally.
“Aren’t you always nervous?” I tease.
He chuckles.
I look at him now, starry eyed in the night of his room. Shirtless, hot, adorable. I mutter, “You have nothing to be nervous about.”
He stares back at me with a soft expression.
I continue, “You’re West Carmack. You don’t mess things up. You overthink them and stress about them and plan for every possible scenario, but you don’t mess them up. Your heart is too good.”
He takes a moment to think and then says, “I messed up my last relationship. I stood there holding that glass of water and said ‘okay’ when she broke up with me.”
“That doesn’t sound like you messed it up. That sounds... mature.”
“It was a low moment. One where I held that glass of water realizing I had no idea where we stood in the relationship, but I let it go on. I should have done something. Or at least asked why.”
Shit. Is he talking about me? Hinting? I don’t know, but I do anything that I can to––
“I don’t want to do that with you, but I think I’m too late.”
I can’t help the smile pulling at my lips. “Maybe, but to be fair, I don’t know what I want.”
“You don’t?”
I inhale, feeling a little dizzy. “Come here.”
He crosses the small space between us, and I reach up to touch his face.
“Want to know a secret?”
He nods.
“I’m terrified I’m—”
He silences me with a kiss. Soft and sweet and tasting like toothpaste and something that’s uniquely him.
“Don’t be,” he says against my lips.
I kiss him again, harder this time, cutting off whatever else he was about to say.
“Will you stay? Tonight?”
“Tessa will notice if I don’t come back,” I answer.
