Page 86 of Cheap Shot

His eyes scanned my face. “That’s not what I was going to say. I wanted to know if you’re okay?”

I reached for his hand, “No, and I won’t be until you tell me what you want to talk about.” He cringed, and I tightened my hold.

“I should have phrased that differently. Sorry, my mind is all over the place right now.”

I remained silent, waiting.

“I was looking for you. I called and you didn’t answer, so I checked my room but Ethan told me he dropped you off here.” He turned so we were facing each other. “I can’t do this anymore, Haley. I know we agreed that the timing isn’t right for us, but I’ve been miserable. I can’t focus on classes or at practice. I feel lost and alone, and the worst part is I know exactly how to fix it, but I can’t do it without being selfish.”

I sucked in a breath. I couldn’t let my hopes get too high without him finishing.

“I want to at least try. I want you. I want us. I know it’s not going to be easy and I won’t be the boyfriend you deserve for the next few months, but I promise to do my best. I think as long as we go into it with clear expectations and a commitment to communicate, we can do it. We can be happy and be together.”

That was all I wanted to hear. From the second Ethan told me I was going to be a distraction for Reid, I wanted Reid to tell me that it didn’t matter. That I was worth fighting for. It took him longer than I expected, but he was here now.

“Okay.” It was all I could say.

His brows rose. “Okay? You’re willing to try?”

I smiled up at him. “Of course. I’ve been just as miserable, Reid. I hated this week, and not just because of Jay. I missed you and the thought of pretending until April was killing me.”

His body relaxed, and he pulled me into his arms then kissed the top of my head. “I never want to let you go again.”

“Please don’t,” I whispered against him, savoring the feeling of being close to him. I closed my eyes and let myself soak in everything that happened. Jay was gone. He couldn’t hurt me anymore. Reid came for me. He found me in time. He saved me. I was safe, and I didn’t have to be alone.

“Can I take you to my room?” His voice rumbled in his chest against my cheek. I nodded but made no move to leave. He smoothed his hand over my hair then lifted my chin so I was looking up at him.

“I know this is probably too soon, and you’ve had an insane few days, but it’s only made me realize how much you mean to me. I love you, Haley.”

His words shocked me. I’d never heard those words from someone outside my family. At least, not from someone I believed meant them.

I didn’t feel deserving. I was broken.

But he didn’t see that. He saw all my pieces and was helping me put them back together. I didn’t have to be perfect for him. He wanted me. The way I was.

“I love you too.”

His smile filled my heart with so much warmth. He would help me heal. He could carry me when I couldn’t take another step on my own. He would be my strength, and one day I would be strong enough to return the favor.

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss against my lips. The tender touch stole my breath.

He was all I wanted. We could do this. We would make this work.

“You look beautiful.” Reid kissed my cheek before opening the door to the restaurant.

“Thank you.” I smiled back at him. He was being extra sweet tonight, which would have made me nervous if Ethan hadn’t given me a heads up. Reid planned this night for over a week and wanted every detail to go perfectly. As much as I appreciated the effort, I wasn’t sure why he was putting in so much for one dinner.

He greeted the host and gave his name. A second later, we were whisked back to a private table and left with menus and a promise that our waitress would be right over.

“This place is nice.” I glanced around the small dining room, taking in the emerald walls and sparse metal decorations. It had an ultra-modern feel that was rare for the area. Most of the restaurants close to campus catered to the students and didn’t put forth too much effort in creating an ambiance when most of the customers were interested in cheap, filling meals.

“Coach told me about it.” Reid clutched the sides of the menu, making it bend in the middle. I reached out and tapped the back of his hands, and he immediately relaxed his grip.

“Is everything okay?” I watched him, looking for any hints as to what was going on in his head.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, of course.”

So, no. Everything was most definitely not okay.