Page 91 of Glad You Exist

He winks at me, placing his empty beer bottle beside him. “Not even then.”

I watch as Kyle pulls Kim onto the floor and into his lap, snuggling her close.

My curiosity piques again and I start forming question after question in my head.

“So…” I hand the hot chocolate to Brad. He sits up, a knowing smile pulling at his lips. He senses the direction my thoughts go as he takes a sip.

“How did you guys happen?” I blurt out, burying my face in Brad’s shoulder.

Kyle’s answering chortle makes me look up just in time to catch Kim shake her head in amusement. She looks over her shoulder at Kyle.

“Uh, funny story, actually.”

Brad sets the mug back on the table. He brings me back to his chest, threading our fingers together. We wait for them to continue. Our friends are exchanging looks like they don’t know how to explain how they ended up as a couple again.

Kyle eventually just shrugs.

“I fucking hated her ex-boyfriend.”

Kim scoffs. “I was dating Zane Miller last year.”

Brad groans beside me. “Hell, Kimmy. Even I know that guy’s a douche canoe.”

“Well…the abs and pretty-boy smile blinded me, okay? Not to mention his—”

Kyle’s hand flies to Kim’s mouth. She giggles, kissing his cheek.

“So, you hated him…that still doesn’t explain—” I gesture to the two of them.

“Long story short. We were both at this party last summer where I caught the asshole making out with another girl after he had the audacity to brag about Kim, so I beat his ass.”

My eyebrows rise to my forehead. Kyle is the most laidback person I know and despite his build, height, and the sport he plays, I can’t imagine him ever being in a fight.

I glance at Kim who is sporting a full-on blush. She playfully rolls her eyes at Kyle, her expression bursting with affection.

“Well, Kyle didn’t know that I had already broken up with the jerk because naturally Zane was still using me to show off to his friends like I was some sort of trophy to be had.”

Kyle mutters something under his breath that sounds a lot like, “Fucker.”

He continues the story. “Kim found out about it and followed me as I was leaving the party. She got in my car when I ignored her. Started screaming at me so I got pissed and thought it would be funny to drive off with her still in the car.Thenwe got to talking and well…I decided I liked her still, so she let me chase her for a few weeks until”—Kyle pats Kim’s head—“she finally let me catch her, and, well, you know.”

Kyle waggles his eyebrows playfully. Kim swats at his chest but there is tenderness there between them. An understanding. And something else that makes me look away and blush. Even the start of their love story is unconventional, but they wouldn’t be Kim and Kyle if it weren’t.Someone make that into a movie, please.

“Sounds like a perfect romcom.”

Kyle winks at me as he jumps to his feet, pulling Kim up with him, “And on that note, good night friends. Don’t stay up too late birthday girl. There is still so much fun to be had.”

Kyle tosses Kim over his shoulder.

Kim giggles and blows us a kiss. He all but jogs to their room.

“Oh god. I don’t even want to think about what—eeww.”

I laugh. Brad’s arm tightens around me, and I look up.

He wordlessly shakes his head at me.

“I love your laugh. Can I record it and make it my alarm? I’d wake up every single time.”

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