Page 64 of Yours, Unexpectedly

“Oh my God! Is that where we are going?”

“Good grief, woman, let me surprise you, please!”

I squeal excitedly and then make a motion to zip my lips and throw away the key.

A while later, we hop off the subway at the Union Street station stop, and I practically jog until we arrive at the bookstore.

Before I can go inside, Anders tugs me into him and cups my face gently. “Take as long as you want in there, I won’t rush you. Pick out a few things and then we’re going to lunch. My only request is that you find something extra dirty for me to read,” he says with a wink.

I can’t contain my excitement as I throw the door open and step into what will now be my favorite spot in the city. Maybe my favorite spot in all of the Northeast.

The whole thing is black, white, and pink, and I immediately see some of my favorites right alongside books I've been dying to read.

Anders’ hand comes to the small of my back, pushing me the rest of the way into the shop. “I want one of everything,” I breathe.

He chuckles, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my neck. Then he pulls back, smacks me on the ass, and says, “Go to town.”

So I do.

An hour later I have several books in my arms, including a signed edition from one of my favorite authors, and a cute T-shirt that says “Smut Readers Do It Better.” I couldn’t resist.

I skip out of the store after we pay, bag swinging merrily in my arms. I’m never this giddy, but Anders knows exactly what will make me happy, exactly how to show me that he pays attention to me and the things I love.

He slings his arm over my shoulder and we walk a few blocks to a cute little cafe with outdoor seating. After ordering coffees and sandwiches, Anders faces me, bracing himself for whatever he’s about to say.

“I just want to thank you,” is how he starts.

“Thank me? You’re the one who planned an amazing weekend for me. I should be the one thanking you!”

He shakes his head. “You don’t understand, Bex. I would do anything for you. Anything to see you smile the way you have this weekend. I love—I love spending time with you,” he finishes. He watches me for a moment before looking down at his coffee and smirking. “I’m just glad you finally gave up the ‘friends with benefits’ bullshit.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You were right, oh wise one. It was a bad idea. I was scared… Still am, if I’m being honest. I mean you’re you!”

“I get that. That’s why I went along with it. It didn’t take me long to learn that my restraint quickly wanes when it comes to you. I couldn’t stay away, so I was willing to take whatever you were ready to give me.” He slides his palm against mine. “I don’t want you to be scared of this anymore. We are in this together, okay?”

I nod, soaking in his words. They’re like a balm to my soul, reassuring in a way that I wasn’t sure I needed.

“There are a few things we need to talk about though. First, I’ll need to tell Professor Callahan that I can’t TA the class anymore. I probably should have already stepped down.”

“Wait, what? Why?”

He looks sheepish now. “Well, I might have gone to him at the beginning of the semester. I wanted to make sure that our relationship, even if it was only a friendship at the time, was disclosed. I wasn’t sure what university policy was on all that. He said it was fine that we knew each other but if it ever became anything more than friends, I was to tell him immediately. I think he could see that I felt strongly about you.”

“Even then?” I ask.

He laughs, but it almost seems forced. “Even then, Baby Bardot. Actually, a lot longer than just this semester.” He looks at me, gauging my reaction to this.

“How long?” I whisper.

Anders squints, looking up to the sky as if the answer is written in the clouds. “There was this night when I was a senior at Hawthorne. You probably don’t remember it, but you had to come pick Gabe and me up from a party. We were totally smashed, Gabe even more than usual. I don’t think you expected me to be there too because you looked so flustered when I got into the car. It was adorable, really. You had these pink bunny slippers on, with your hair tied up in one of those high bun things. You were wearing an oversized sweatshirt that said ‘Thicc and Tired’ on it—your little saying shirts always make me smile, by the way—and I just remember thinking you were the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.”

Oh my God. I know exactly what night he’s talking about.

He continues before I have a chance to respond. “I almost kissed you that night.” His eyes search my face.

“I thought you were going to kiss me that night,” I say, feeling all kinds of shaken up at confessing that.

“I’m glad I didn’t kiss you though,” he admits. I must make a face because he just laughs and squeezes my hand. “Not like that. I was… Things were not good then. I was drinking a lot. Barely passing my classes. I hadn’t been diagnosed with ADHD yet, so I wasn’t managing my life well at all. I wasn’t ready for you, then.”

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