Page 97 of The Problem with Perfect

“How did you guys know I was competing?” I ask her once we’ve made it out of the primary throng of people and are walking hand in hand through downtown, back to where she parked at Cedar Cider.

“Jackson let it slip when he and Abby came into The Mitch a few nights ago.” She shrugs. “I couldn’tnotcome once I found out. I mean, this competition is a big deal.”

“Well, I’m glad you came.”

“Why didn’t you want us to know?”

I can hear the tiny tone of hurt in her voice, and I get it. Bellamy is one of the most supportive people I know. It’s in her nature to want to show up for people.

“I wasn’t sure I would finish,” I reply honestly. “And I just…didn’t want to be thinking about anyone expecting me to cross the line and being disappointed when I didn’t.”

Bellamy brings me to a stop, right in the middle of the sidewalk, and she looks at me, her eyes earnest. “I could never be disappointed. What matters is that you tried.”

I grin, remembering my own thoughts about the race earlier today, appreciating how similarly we see it. We turn and start walking again, but it’s barely another minute before Bellamy says something I’m not expecting.

“I saw you talking to Connor before you got in the water.”

I glance at her, finding a curious expression on her face.

“Yeah. He had a few choice words for me.”

Bellamy rolls her eyes. “Of course he did. What did he say?”

I chuckle, remembering how intensely he glared at me.

“He said, ‘Prepare to lose, old man.’”

She hums. “Sounds like Connor.”

We round the corner to the gravel drive that leads to Cedar Cider, and once we come to a stop next to Bellamy’s car, I gently push her up against it and cage her in with both arms.

“You didn’t ask me what I said back,” I whisper, kissing the delicate skin just below her ear.

Bellamy shivers. “Huh?”

I grin. “You didn’t ask me what I said back, to Connor.”

Pulling away a bit, I look at her, enjoying the way her eyes are closed and her lips are parted, like just that simple kiss was enough to distract her from anything else.

When I don’t keep kissing her, she opens her eyes.

“What did you say back?”

I lick my lips, and my thumb lightly grazes her cheek.

“I told him…I’d already won.”

She blinks a few times, then a soft, simple grin stretches across her face. Her arms slide around my neck, and Bellamy rests her forehead against mine.

“We both did.”

I couldn’t agree more.

epilogue

Bellamy

… three months later …

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