Page 143 of Push

I frowned. “Toby, I don’t know—”

“Yeah, I know. Your lips told me before you even started talking. I know I have to put in the work. In fact, I’m kinda planning on it.” He grinned. “I wish to court you, my lady.”

“You…” I pulled back and took a good look at him. His eyes shone with mischief even in the low light.“What?”

“You heard me.” Toby wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m going to take you on dates. Hold your hand. Spoil you.” He gently patted Noah’s back. “NoBo’s cool. He’s my bro. He can hang out sometimes, too. My only condition is you have to be yourself, and I will be, too. Oh! And we have to keep talking and being honest with each other. Do you have any conditions?”

I gnawed on my lip.Not cheating on me again…That seemed like a no-brainer. My thoughts spun. But there was more, wasn’t there? The reason Toby had wandered off in the first place. The constant burning fear that I wasn’t…enough.

“Unless…” Toby’s brows drooped. “You don’t want to choose me?”

I touched his cheek. “I’m scared.”

“Me too.” His smile was tight. “I’m scared I’ll mess up again. Not the cheating. That’ll never happen. But the talking…” He grimaced. “I’m still not great at it. I’m scared you’ll realize you can do better than me. Or you’ll realize I’m not a knight and just Toby,the dumb guy whose own family never even liked him. Except Tanya… Sometimes…” His eyes darted, and he laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.“Hopefully.Why are you scared?”

“Because I’m…just Gwen.” And that won’t ever be enough. For him. For anyone.

“I’ll have you know I fell madly in love withJust Gwen.”

I tried to bite back a smile, but it still peeked through. “And I fell in love withJust Toby.”

He didn’t bother trying to hide his smile. He beamed brighter than the moon shining through the curtains. “You…love me…now?”

I nodded.

Another huge smile broke across his face. “Even when I’m being an idiot?”

“Especially when you’re being an idiot.” I pecked a fresh kiss on his cheek. “What about me? Do you love me even when I’m moody and stuck up in my head?”

“Especially then because I get to be an idiot and make you love me all over again.”

“Toby…”

“Choose me.Us.Please.” Emotion choked his voice. This was brave. It meant a lot.Everything.“Give me another chance. Officially. On the record. Lawyer style.”

“I…”

Flickered images from our past swept into focus. Special moments only we’d shared—the ones written in his letter but so, so many more. When I squeezed my eyes shut and imagined a future, I wanted to race after all the moments still waiting for us. Not just politely nodding to each other at school functions while we lived in separate houses—lives together.

I took a deep breath. Declaring my choice was like jumping off the Blairgowrie Jumping Rock all over again, but I wasn’t dreading it this time.

My smile was genuine. “I choose you.” My words were clear and firm. This was it. No going back. I soared off the rock, hope rushing like wind in my hair, the abyss waiting below suddenly less scary. “I want to give you one last chance.”

Toby winced. The words—the finality of alastchance—weren’t missed. “That’s all I’ll need.”

“It’s all you can have. I can’t go through this again.”

“I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me. I’m all in. Even if you didn’t choose me, I was all in.” His solemn expression didn’t last long. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Now, my lady, will you seal your promise with a kiss?”

I arched an eyebrow. “A kiss, huh?”

“Mmhmm.” He waved his hand about. “None of the sexy kisses you used to give me. A chaste kiss, if you will, my lady. I won’t have you corrupting my virtue.”

I rolled my eyes but was smiling when I leaned forward until our noses touched. I hovered for a moment. Toby didn’t rush me. He was so very still, waiting for me to take the lead, not the usual way we danced in the bedroom.

My heart fluttered from the anticipation of kissing him again after so long. I brushed my lips over his, a faint gasp of excitement escaping before I softly kissed him. A shudder skated down my spine to my toes. I couldn’t resist another press of my lips on his. Toby groaned. I started pulling away, but his big hand cradled my cheek to keep me close. His warm, minty breath fanned in short gasps close, so close, to my mouth.

“I’ve changed my mind,” he murmured. “Give me the sexy kiss. Show me what I almost lost—still could—if I don’t treat you right.”

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