Page 126 of So Wild

“Yes, please.” Scott unbuttoned his shirt collar. “Samantha, I’d like my tattoo on my chest, please. I’ve no opinions about the design. Whatever you think will look good is fine.”

Sam snatched the papers out of Nicole’s hand. “No. We’re not doing this.”

“I think we are,” Scott said cheerfully, undoing another button. “Besides, it’s no big deal, everyone has tattoos these days.”

He winked at her, though Sam refused to smile. “Galahad, I’m fucking serious. We need to talk, we need to sort things out and we cannot resolve our situation by giving you a big fuck-off tattoo at the eleventh hour.”

“Why not?” he said, peeling off his shirt and handing it to Toby along with his jacket. Sam hated herself for noticing how good he looked. Almost as much as she hated all the eyes that had just been drawn toward them. The last thing this situation needed was more witnesses.

Edith shoved the microphone under Scott’s nose. “How do you know Samantha?”

“I’ve been in love with her since I was eight.”

The crowd around them ‘ooohed’ and Edith looked like all her telecasting dreams had just come true at once. “Are you guys together?”

Scott’s gaze locked on hers. “Not officially, but we’re going to be.”

The crowed ‘ooohed’ some more and Sam felt her face and neck go hot.

“Well everyone loves a big romantic gesture,” Edith said. “And there’s not much bigger than getting a tattoo to help Samantha try to win the competition. Is this going to be your first tattoo?”

“It is. I’m glad about that. I always wanted Samantha to be my first.”

The people around then laughed, Edith and Nicole giggled and even Noah smiled, but Sam just stood there thinking about love and how it was wonderful and painful, just like life.

“Samantha,” Edith said suddenly, thrusting the microphone toward her. “What do you think about all this?”

“I…” Sam stared blankly into the cameras tilted toward her. How could she say what she was feeling out loud when she barely knew what was going on?

Scott’s smile faded. He put a hand on Edith’s arm. “I know this is a media event, but might you give us a moment to ourselves, please?”

Edith looked like she wanted to protest, but then she saw Scott’s face and conceded they could have a few minutes alone. She strode away with her cameramen and the crowd pared back with her, wandering away to other artists and snack tables. Noah, Nicole and Toby similarly melted away. Sam walked toward her shirtless ex-neighbor and took his cold hands in hers. “Galahad,” she said, refusing to look him in the eyes.

Scott pulled their joined fists to his chest and waited until she met his gaze. The instant she did, he smiled. “Samantha, I love you.”

She felt another dizzying rush, like someone had opened a window in her chest and a spring breeze was whirling through it, bringing new life. “I love you, too.”

Scott’s forehead found hers, pressing their faces together, creating a shelter from the outside world.

“You’re the one,” he whispered. “You’re the only one for me.”

“I think I’m the same,” Sam whispered. “I’ve never been in love with anyone but you.”

“I’m sorry for yesterday.”

“That wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry for buy­scott­sanderson­aroot.com.”

Scott’s mouth curled up at the corner. “That was your fault, but I don’t care, I don’t care about anything except you. I thought about what to say the whole way over here and it’s this—I want to promise you something.”

“Okay.”

“I promise I will not put you on a pedestal. I promise I will not talk down to you. I promise I will do everything in my power to make you happy and I promise I will do everything I can to remain worthy of your love. I will not ignore our class differences, or our history but I refuse to let either of them ruin what we feel for one another.”

Sam smiled, her eyes prickling with excess emotion. “Okay, Galahad. I accept your promises.”

Scott’s fingers tightened on hers. “Excellent. Now, in return I would like two things—for you to admit you love me and for you to win this competition by giving me the best tattoo you’ve ever given anyone, right here and right now.”

Sam shook her head and felt a tear splash down her left cheek. “It’s too soon, it’s too weird…”

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