Page 58 of Double Trouble

Two hours later, I’m practically leaping across the parking lot at Tanner’s apartment—well, as much as I can on crutches… and carrying a big ass pile of contract papers.

Breanne—she requested I call her by her first name—is building a boarding company catering to girls, encouraging them to dive into the sport. It’s only been around for a few months, but it’s gaining traction, and she thinks with me as a spokesperson and mentor, it’ll get huge. The sponsorship starts at sixty grand a year, and with the caveat that I get my videographer and editor to create content for her business.

So not only will I be doing my dream job, I’ll get to do it with the guy I’m absolutely in love with… if he says yes.

I use my crutch to knock on his door, which bangs and thuds much louder than I intend. I laugh at myself and get so excited that my fingers slip on the papers in my hand.

Tanner swings the door open, and my contract goes flying, documents everywhere. The September wind takes them away, and I let out a squeal. “Shit!”

Tanner dives for them all, since he’s the best boyfriend in the world, no matter how hard he’s avoiding me right now. And I will tell him that till the cows come home.

I try to grab at the papers with my crutches, slamming down on a chunk before they fly away. Tanner manages to grab the few that go to the bushes, down the walkway, sticking in the creases of his neighbor’s door.

“What is all this?” he says through a laugh, chasing after a runaway page.

“A contract!” I sing. “You got me a sponsor, boyfriend.”

He slams his foot on the ground, trapping the page underneath his Vans. His bright green eyes meet mine, practically perfect circles, his jaw dropped.

“W-what?”

I bounce against my crutches, sharp pain pinching my pits, but I don’t care. Nothing will erase this grin. Nothing will take away this moment for me. “There’s a woman who owns a boarding shop, and she wants me for their spokesperson.” I gesture to the papers. “I wanted to go over all this with you.”

He taps the pages in his hands, straightening them best he can after crinkling them to death in the struggle to catch them. He closes the distance between us, his familiar scent and comforting warmth wrapping me up in a cozy blanket. His smile is distant, unsure as he bends and gathers the rest of the contract that I trapped under my crutch.

“Hey,” I say, bending to catch his gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He forces a smile. “I’m in shock.”

“Well, snap out of it.” I swing myself closer to him. “You did this for me. That video you posted was what brought me my shot. I don’t know how to thank you enough, but believe me, I’m going to try.”

He scratches the back of his head, and I’m suddenly jealous of his hand. How I wish I could reach up and touch that feathery soft hair.

“It was the least I could do,” he says sullenly. “After everything…” His voice catches, and I quickly shake my head.

“Tanner. How many times do I have to tell you that this was not your fault?”

The corner of his mouth lifts. “Probably a hundred.”

I let out a huff and purse my lips. He’s going to beat himself up forever, and doesn’t he see everything he’s done for me? Not just the video or making a sponsorship possible, but everything before that… before I fell for him. He’s my friend, my confidant. He knows when I need that mental break and when I need a board under my feet. He knows my favorite color is red and that my favorite Star Wars movie is Episode V. He’s my comfort and my safe place in a world that rarely feels safe.

I reach for him, letting my fingers brush the skin along his forearm. “I’m ready.”

He lifts a brow. “For what?”

“I’m ready to hear it now.” I offer up a small smile. “I’m ready to hear that you love me. Because I love you.”

A soft gasp slips between his teeth, and I try to come closer, but I stumble into his arms. He catches me easily, and the feeling of his hands against my waist feels a lot like home. “I got hurt. We broke the rules together, but I would never in a million years say that what we did wasbad. How could something this good come from something wrong?”

His lips are stuck in adorable shock. He lifts his brows, his head shaking the slightest bit. “You love me.”

“Yep.”

“You said it first.”

“I did.”

He narrows his eyes, and he studies my face. “You’re not concussed, are you?”

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