His frantic gaze swept over the football field, his heart jumping to his throat when he spotted her. She stood near the home team’s bench, wearing skinny jeans, a black tank top, and bright red flats on her feet. The splash of color brought a smile to his lips. Lord, he loved that about her. The way her adventurous nature seeped out of that good girl exterior, the hint of naughtiness beneath her well-behaved surface.
He was rooted in place as their gazes locked, but neither one of them made a move to approach the other.
Devon, on the other hand, had no problem running over to Darcy. The boy flung his arms around her waist and hugged her, and Reed’s heart squeezed as he watched her return the playful embrace.
Their murmured voices carried over to him, but he couldn’t make out their words. A groove dug into his forehead when he saw Darcy kneel down and whisper something in Devon’s ear. There was a flash of movement, as if she’d slipped something into the boy’s hand, but they were too far away for Reed to see what had exchanged hands.
A second later, Devon sprinted toward him.
Darcy stayed put, and Reed’s bewilderment grew. He flashed her a questioning look, but all he got in return was a tiny shrug and what looked like a very mischievous smile.
His pulse sped up, even though he knew better than to think…to think what? Darcy’s presence made no sense to him. She was supposed to hate him, damn it. So why was she standing twenty feet away smiling at him?
Devon skidded to a stop at Reed’s feet, clutching a little green golf pencil and a folded piece of white paper in his small hand. “Here,” the boy announced, thrusting out his arm. “This is for you.”
Reed held his breath as he accepted the paper. He was also embarrassed to discover that his fingers were trembling wildly as he slowly unfolded the note.
When he saw what was written on it, his nerves vanished and his breath came shuddering out on a laugh.
In her feminine handwriting, Darcy had written three words that made his heart soar.
I love you.
Below that, she’d drawn two boxes, one for yes, one for no.
She’d checked yes.
And circled it half a dozen times.
“What does it say?” Devon demanded, standing on his tiptoes and craning his head to try and take a peek.
Reed laughed as he scanned the rest of the note, which posed a question.
Do you love me?
Two boxes. Yes or no.
As his pulse drummed between his ears, he refolded the note and tucked it along with the pencil in his pocket, then glanced at Devon. “Wait here a second, my man. I’ve gotta go kiss your teacher.”
“Ewwwwww!”
The boy’s horrified wail followed Reed all the way to Darcy, who patiently waited for him to approach.
When he reached her, she cocked her head, a move that caused her hair to cascade over her shoulder. “I spoke to AJ.”
He sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Don’t be mad at him. He was just being a good friend. To both of us.”
Reed thought about how AJ had dragged him off the couch yesterday and sobered him up, and his heart squeezed at the memory. “He’s a damn good friend,” he said hoarsely.
There was a beat of silence.
“I didn’t see you check off a box,” she murmured, her blue eyes searching his face.
“That’s because I didn’t have to.”
Her brows knitted in confusion.
Reed smiled. “I don’t need to tell you how I feel on a piece of paper, baby. I’m not too scared to say the words out loud.”
Her breath caught.
Reed stepped closer and swept his fingers along the delicate edge of her jaw, his voice coming out hoarse. “I love you.”
Darcy’s entire face lit up. “You do?”
“So fucking much,” he said solemnly.
The smile she rewarded him with was so damn radiant he wished he’d brought his sunglasses. “Thank God,” she blurted out.
Chuckling, Reed touched her cheek. “What, you were afraid I wouldn’t say it back?”
“Terrified,” she confessed. “Especially after…”
Regret clamped around his throat. “I’m so sorry for the other night, Darce. I was a total jerk. But I need you to know that nothing happened with that girl. I walked away from her the second you were gone.” He swallowed. “I just needed you to believe that I was over you. It was the only way for me to…”
A soft smile tugged on her lips as he voiced the familiar phrase, but this time she wasted no time finishing it for him. “For you to protect your heart. I get it, Reed. AJ told me you heard me and Skyler talking.” She shook her head. “And I think we need to have a little talk about eavesdropping.”
“I know,” he groaned, lowering his gaze to avoid her reprimanding look. “I shouldn’t have—”
“If you’re going to eavesdrop,” she interrupted primly, “as least eavesdrop on the whole conversation.”
His head jerked up. “What?”
“If you’d stayed for five seconds more, you would have heard me telling Skyler that yes, you were my boyfriend, and that I was madly, passionately, ridiculously in love with you.”
His heartbeat accelerated. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Aw, hell. I can’t even eavesdrop properly. I really am a dumbass, huh?”