Page 54 of The Space Between Your Heart & Mine

And yet, no matter how much I try to rationalize it, I can’t make it feel any less significant. And if I’m honest, I liked that he referred to me that way. Not that I expected to jump into something just a few short months after ending things with Blake, but there’s no denying the way I feel when I’m with Remi. It’s so different than I’ve ever felt with anyone else. And I would be doing myself a huge disservice by not seeing this through.

Hell, I don’t think I could walk away now, even if I wanted to. The coaster is already spiraling down the tracks, and all I can do is hold on tight and enjoy the ride. Sure, it may end badly, but it also may take me somewhere, that a month ago, I couldn’t even begin to imagine.

Eventually, Jack rejoins his family while Remi and I take two seats right up against the glass as more people filter inside. Some stop and say hello, Remi introducing me the same way to every single person I meet. Others are people I assume Remi doesn’t know considering he doesn’t speak to them and they don’t speak to him.

It isn’t until the room is full and the game is about to start that Remi finally addresses the elephant in the room that has planted itself squarely on top of my chest.

“I... um, I hope it’s okay.” He leans in close so that only I can hear him. “What I said to Jack and the others.”

“What do you mean?” I play stupid, but there’s no way he doesn’t see the lie all over my face.

“I didn’t mean to assume or anything. I just... I wanted to introduce you that way because, well, I want you to be my girlfriend. I mean, if people even call each other that anymore,” he rambles nervously.

For a man who always seems so sure of himself, it’s actually kind of sweet to see him so unsure.

“I guess what I’m really saying is that I want to be exclusive. I want you to know I’m not going to be seeing anyone else, and I don’t want you to either. Would that be okay?” He holds my gaze intently.

“Yeah,” I finally say, pretty sure my heart has beaten an entirely new cavity in my chest. It seems preposterous that after only a couple of weeks of really hanging out, we’re already throwing a label on things. But at the same time, it feels more right than anything has felt in a long time.

Because I’ve actually worried about this. That he was seeing other people. That he would get off the phone with me and then be balls deep in someone an hour later. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t lose sleep over the thought. So yeah, it feels good to hear him say that he wants to be exclusive. But it’s also kind of terrifying.

I guess that’s how I know I really like him. Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be scared.

“Yeah?” He smiles, the action crinkling the corners of his eyes in that cute way of his.

“Yeah,” I repeat, giggling against his mouth when he leans in and kisses me.

Despite the fact that we’re surrounded by at least a dozen other people, I don’t pull away. In fact, I don’t even consider pulling away. Maybe it’s because it’s just a brief press of his lips to mine, or maybe it’s because I want his kiss more than I care about who sees us, and yes, that is definitely a first for me.

Tangling our fingers together, he smiles at me again. And not just your average smile. The kind of smile that touches every single inch of his face, overtaking his entire expression.

I don’t know how, or when exactly it happened, but somewhere over the course of the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to develop feelings for Remi. And not just because I’m incredibly physically attracted to him—that much is obvious—but because of the man he’s shown me that he is.

And if I were a betting woman, I’d say he feels the same way. You don’t look at a woman the way he’s currently looking at me if you’re not at least a little smitten.

It seems so unreal to me that it’s been only three weeks since Aspen sat in my office, promising me that Remi was one of the good ones, and all I could think was how absolutely full of shit she probably was.

Turns out, maybe I was the one full of it. Because he is everything she said and so much more.

“I changed my mind,” I say after a brief moment.

“About what?” He hitches a single eyebrow in question.

“Maybe I can come over tonight after all,” I tell him, feeling brazen.

He looks out over the field where the game has already started, but neither of us is paying any attention to it.

“Did I hear you say you don’t care about this game and you want to leave early?” He gives me a cheeky grin.

“Don’t push your luck.” I crinkle my nose at him.

“After the game.” He concedes with a visible pout, laughter bubbling from my throat at the sight.

“And you have to promise to have me home by ten,” I tell him, suddenly so nervous it feels like hundreds of butterflies have come alive inside my stomach.

“I’ll promise to bring you to the fucking moon if it means I get to spend even an hour alone with you.” He shifts and I quickly realize it’s to hide the erection pressing visibly against his pants.

“You know what, on second thought. Why don’t we get out of here?” I hear myself say, though I can’t quite believe the words that come off my lips.

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