Page 81 of The Naughty List

“Everything,” she huffs, running her hands through her hair. God, her hair. It drives me wild. I imagine tangling my hands in the strands while exploring her mouth. “Tim was cheating on me. I got confirmation.”

“Shit, what? How’d you find out?” That was not what I was expecting.

“I ran into his coworker, Jeff, earlier. I got close to him and his wife, Andrea, back when I’d attend work functions with Tim. We caught up and he told me that he was sad to hear about our breakup and said that Tim had been dating that first-year, Tiffany, since July.” She grips the bottle of rum by the neck. “I didn’t tell Jeff that we had only just broken up in December, so my guess is he thought it happened earlier in the year. Explains why Tim had been acting differently the last several months.” She shrugs, looking unbothered as she brings the bottle to her lips.

“I’m sorry Sadie, that’s—”I search for the right words—“seriously fucked up.”

“You know what’s crazy?” She leans forward. “In the moment, when he told me, I was shocked; but at the same time, I felt relieved. Like it validated my intuition; proved I wasn’t wrong all those months. It also validated me not wanting to give him another chance and made me feel better about already moving on. But the craziest part is…I really don’t care, and that’s not the rum talking. I’m just glad to be done with it all. I’m glad I will no longer be left wondering, beating myself up, thinking I’m going crazy because he’d gaslight me any time I brought up something inconsistent or suspicious.”

She looks off in the distance, then shrugs. “What were you going to tell me that night at the bar? You asked if I wanted to know what you were thinking when you looked at me in my outfit, but we were interrupted.”

“Ah.” I remember that night vividly, that outfit, her bare stomach, that fucking kiss. “No judgment?” I ask.

“No judgment,” she confirms.

“Well, the first thought that came to mind was that you looked like you were made to be fucked roughly by me—and only me—in that little outfit. The way the tiny skirt hugged your ass, I kept imagining what kind of panties you had on. Then I wanted to drag you out of that bar so none of those other men could look at you.”

“Thong,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Fuck.” I reach down and adjust my hardening cock. “You were killing me in that little outfit, pure torture.”

“Guess I’m glad I decided to wear it after all.” She smirks and hands the bottle to me. “Your turn.”

“My turn?”

“Yeah, you have to drink and confess something, that’s what I did.” She giggles.

“I thought this was an exercise to help you feel and express yourself?”

She gives me a cute little smirk. “You’re not getting out of this.”

“Hmm, what can I confess?” I tip my head back, taking another drink.

“Tell me how you feel about me.”

I don’t hesitate. “I’m in love with you.”

Her smile fades, her face growing serious. “What?”

I repeat the words. “I am in love with you, Sadie. I’m not expecting you to say it back or even feel the same way but that’s how I feel about you, and I don’t want to keep it to myself.” I lift the bottle and take another drink. “I was actually planning to tell you that day we were supposed to meet for coffee, but when I showed up, Tim was there.”

Her eyes grow wide. “You were? Why’d you change your mind?”

“You were hurting. You needed a friend. I wasn’t about to use your pain and hurt to try and manipulate my way into your heart. It felt like it would have been wrong not to allow you to express the pain you were feeling in the moment. I also didn’t want you to worry I was only saying it to make you feel better. That would be as bad as saying it after mind-blowing sex.”

Her cheeks bloom pink at the mention of sex, something I still find adorable, considering all the things I’ve said to her.

“So you love me?” she asks again.

“Yes, I love you.”

She can’t hide her smile. “So what does that mean for us?”

“It means whatever you want it to mean. I’m not saying it to convince you to jump into something with me. What I feel for you is so much more than a rebound, so I don’t want to pressure you. I want this to be real and genuine for you. Because it is for me. I’d be no better than Tim if I used your pain from him to convince you to be with me if you’re not ready.” I pause and she just stares at me. “You’re it for me, Sadie. You’re everything I want and need. I’ll wait for you as long as it takes.”

That’s when I see it, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She gets to her hands and knees and crawls into my lap. I place my hands on her hips as she lowers herself, her hands coming to rest against either side of my face as her forehead rests against mine.

“I’m in love with you too.”