Page 106 of Seein’ Red

I close in on him, but he doesn’t look up from what he’s doing. I know he can hear me approach—the clack of my heels on the wood is loud enough I’m pretty sure they can hear me on the other side of the lake. Damn, his willpower is strong.

Stopping right in front of him, I inhale, then let out the first thing that comes to mind.

“I love you.”

Nash looks up slowly, still wrapping the rope around his hand and elbow.

“I know.”

“What? You…you know?”

Now that was not the answer I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take it. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.

“Yup.”

“What do you mean you know?”

He shrugs, as if the answer was clear the first time. “I know.”

“That is not an answer. Use your fucking words, Nash!”

He smirks, dropping the rope in a neat pile on the floor of the boat, then props a leg up on the side to lean on. Staring down at me, his lopsided grin makes my insides melt.

“I mean, I know. Because I know you, Willa. And you don’t like being told what to do, unless it’s by me in the bedroom.” He winks, smirking, and I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. “That includes being told how you feel. You needed to figure it out for yourself.”

I scowl at him, shaking my head. “I hate you.”

“I know that too. Like I said, perfect combination of can’t live without you and going to be the death of me. Pretty sure that works both ways.”

He’s right. I don’t want to say that out loud, but he is.

Instead, I continue with my original plan. “And, I’m sorry.”

Nash perks up, his smirk growing bigger, eyes lighting up. Yeah, he liked that. Figured he would.

More than anything though, I mean it. From deep, deep down. I want—no, need—for him to know that. To hear it from me.

“I am, Nash. I am so, so sorry. I handled everything wrong. Everything. From the second it occurred to me that I could be pregnant, to not letting you apologize every time you tried, to finding out that I’m not, losing my shit with you yesterday, and not listening to you when you crashed Munch. All of it. I was…I was terrified of my own feelings and of getting hurt, and…”

“You think I’m not?”

I shrug. “You never seem to be afraid of anything.”

“Neither do you.”

“I am of this. Of how you could hurt me.”

“Make that two of us.”

I smile, my heart already so full. Hearing that he’s feeling all the same things makes it all overflow.

“My grovel isn’t near as good as yours, but I hope you know that it’s from my heart. That I mean every word, Nash. Because you’re the only one I’m willing to be this vulnerable with. To show my underbelly to. The only one worth the risk. Because you’re it for me too.”

“Maybe next time try running to me instead of away from me, huh?”

I sputter out a laugh. When did he get so wise?

“I absolutely should have been running to you rather than pushing you away. I don’t want to push you away. You’re my person. My best friend. I want you in my life. Full time. Publicly. For always.”