Page 162 of I Choose You

“Dis what?”

“Body image issues.”

He cringed. “All chicks have that.”

“Not like this. And that’s no excuse. You remember how fucking bad it was. High school is hard for everyone. You know how people teased and made fun of her. You did it yourself. And pulling that prank on her asking her to prom was a hard blow for her.”

His reply was to say nothing. He stared at me with his lips pressed together.

“Think back. Remember that one asswipe? Always making up shit about girls and how he got that one teacher assistant to sleep with him?”

“My God.” He shook his head. “I hated that prick. Thank fuck he got what he deserved. Did you know he was arrested for child porn a couple of years ago?”

“And all those catty cheerleader types, spreading rumors?”

He sighed.

“Remember when you tripped on the steps freshman year?”

A smile curved his lips. “And you beat the shit out of that senior who made fun of me?”

I chuckled. Dad had been so mad that day.

“All right. You’ve got a point. High school is universally guaranteed to be a shitty experience at one point or another.”

It didn’t matter the circumstances. Those four years changed a person. All the bodily adaptations of leaving behind childhood. The emotions and hormones morphing your personality. Adolescence was a warzone. Kody and I had been privileged. We weren’t poor and we’d gotten our good looks from Mom and Dad. We hadn’t struggled in any other socioeconomic ways, but we hadn’t been spared any hardships. We’d lost Mom. We’d struggled through grief.

You never knew what someone else was going through, and I appreciated that Kody could maybe see that.

“But all of that—anything we had to put up with senior year—is old news,” he argued. “In the past.”

I shook my head. “That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. I expect better from you.”

He shook his head laughing. “Fuck, does she have you wrapped around her little finger. Why does it matter?”

“Because I know you’re not the asshole you pretend to be.”

He arched a brow.

“And because the girl you owe an apology to is the woman I love.”

Damn, it felt really fucking good to admit it. Not a single hesitation had me pausing. Clear and loud. Putting those words out there felt like a victory cry. I didn’t regret it, and I didn’t feel a blip of dread. I wouldn’t freak out at voicing such a deep commitment like that.

I loved Brooke. And the whole damn world would know it. I’d shout it from the fucking rooftop.

Kody blinked at me in surprise. “Love?”

I nodded and set my hands in my pockets.

“I thought…” He scowled in frustration. “What the hell happened to her being your fake date? I mean, I could tell you had some feelings for her and all. But love?”

I nodded again.

“Shit. First Dad. Now you.”

I chuckled. “You’ll be next.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “Careful what you say.” He approached me, hand out to shake. “Look, the wedding is tomorrow. I don’t want to ruin the day for Dad.”